Wireless local area network

A wireless local area network comprising an access point and a plurality of remote stations arranged to communicate using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex, OFDM;

• wherein the access point is capable of operating in a first access mode wherein access to the access point is in accordance with a Carrier Sense Multiple Access, CSMA, scheme and in a second access mode wherein access to the access point is in accordance with a Time Division Multiple Access, TDMA, scheme;
• and the access point comprises:
• a resource allocator for allocating resource blocks to the remote stations when the access point operates in the second access mode, a resource block for a remote station comprising an allocated time interval and an allocated set of OFDM subcarriers;
• a mode controller for temporarily switching the access point from the first access mode to the second access mode of operation for a time interval;
• a transmit unit for broadcasting at least a first message indicating that the access point switches from the first access mode to the second access mode for the time interval;
• the first message comprising resource information specifying resource blocks allocated to the plurality of remote stations;
• and wherein each of the remote stations is capable of operating in a CSMA mode of operation wherein the remote station is arranged to autonomously access the access point if no collision is detected and to operate in a TDMA mode of operation wherein the remote station is arranged to communicate only using resource allocated to the remote station by the resource allocator;
• and each remote station comprises:
• a monitor processor for monitoring for the first message,
• mode switch means for switching the remote station from the CSMA mode to the TDMA mode for at least the time interval in response to a detection of the first message,
• a resource controller for decoding the first message to identify an allocated resource block being allocated to the remote station by the resource allocator, and
• a communication unit for communicating with the access point using a set of allocated time intervals and a set of allocated OFDM subcarriers of the allocated resource block;
• wherein the resource allocator is arranged to allocate resource blocks having overlapping time intervals and disjoint sets of OFDM subcarriers to a plurality of remote stations allowing simultaneous communication for the plurality of remote stations within the overlapping time interval.