Flexible frequency hopping

A method for wireless communication, comprising:

• transmitting, by a network device, a first message to a communication device, wherein the first message comprises a list of frequency hopping offsets and a value indicating a number of repetitions of a data transmission, wherein the list of frequency hopping offsets comprises no less than four non-zero frequency hopping offsets;
• and
• transmitting, by the network device, a second message to the communication device, the second message indicating a selected frequency hopping offset in the list of frequency hopping offsets to enable the communication device to apply frequency hopping offsets to the number of repetitions of the data transmission, wherein the selected frequency hopping offset is indicated using no less than two bits in the second message, wherein each of the frequency hopping offsets is applied to a corresponding repetition in the data transmission, wherein the frequency hopping offsets includes multiple non-zero frequency hopping offsets such that different non-zero frequency hopping offsets are applicable to different repetitions, and wherein the multiple non-zero frequency hopping offsets are determined according to a rule associated with the selected frequency hopping offset, the rule specifying an order associated with the multiple non-zero frequency hopping offsets.

A communication apparatus, comprising a processor configured to:

• transmit a first message to a communication device, wherein the first message comprises a list of frequency hopping offsets and a value indicating a number of repetitions of a data transmission, wherein the list of frequency hopping offsets comprises no less than four non-zero frequency hopping offsets;
• and
• transmit a second message to the communication device, the second message indicating a selected frequency hopping offset in the list of frequency hopping offsets to enable the communication device to apply frequency hopping offsets to the number of repetitions of the data transmission, wherein the selected frequency hopping offset is indicated using no less than two bits in the second message, wherein each of the frequency hopping offsets is applied to a corresponding repetition in the data transmission, wherein the frequency hopping offsets includes multiple non-zero frequency hopping offsets such that different non-zero frequency hopping offsets are applicable to different repetitions, and wherein the multiple non-zero frequency hopping offsets are determined according to a rule associated with the selected frequency hopping offset, the rule specifying an order associated with the multiple non-zero frequency hopping offsets.