Telecommunications apparatus and methods

A terminal device for use in a wireless telecommunications system for communicating with network infrastructure equipment using a first band and a second band, the terminal device comprising:

• circuitry;
• and
• a transceiver, the circuitry and the transceiver configured to operate together to:
• receive, from the network infrastructure equipment, an indication of a configuration setting for the second band, the configuration setting indicating specific radio resources of the second band for operation of the second band;
• establish, according to system information indicating a degree of radio traffic in the second band, a validity period for the configuration setting for the second band, wherein the terminal device receives the system information via a transmission prior to reception of the indication of the configuration setting;
• and
• receive data, from the network infrastructure equipment, using the second band operating in accordance with the configuration setting for the second band during the validity period for the configuration setting.

Circuitry for network infrastructure equipment for use in a wireless telecommunications system for communicating with a terminal device using a first band and a second band, the circuitry comprising:

• control circuitry;
• and
• a transceiver, the control circuitry and the transceiver configured to operate together to:
• establish an indication of measurements of radio usage in the second band;
• transmit the indication of the measurements of radio usage to the terminal device;
• determine a configuration setting for the second band based on the indication of measurements of radio usage in the second band, the configuration setting indicating specific radio resources of the second band for operation of the second band;
• transmit, after transmission of the indication of the measurements of radio usage, an indication of the configuration setting for the carrier band to the terminal device;
• transmit data to the terminal device using the second band operating in accordance with the configuration setting for the second band during a validity period for the configuration setting, the validity period for the configuration setting having been established by the terminal device for the secondary band according to the indication of the measurements of radio usage;
• and
• receive, from the terminal device in a case that the terminal device determines that the validity period for the configuration setting for the secondary component carrier has expired, another indication of measurements of radio usage in the second band made by the terminal device and determine a new configuration setting for the second band based on the received measurements of radio usage in the second band.