Telecommunications system and method

A method of communicating data to and from a mobile device in a network which includes a plurality of repeater nodes, the method comprising

• transmitting the data from each of the repeater nodes with a first transmission power to, one or more others of the plurality of repeater nodes within one of a plurality of slots of a time frame, each repeater node being allocated a different time slot of the time frame,
• transmitting and receiving data to and from one or more of the repeater nodes from and to the mobile device,
• transmitting a pilot signal from each repeater node during the same one of the time slots of the time frame with a second transmission power, the second power being less than the first transmission power, the pilot signal including an identifier of the repeater node which is transmitted with the pilot signal, and
• receiving the pilot signal at the mobile device from one of the repeater nodes, and from the identifier received in the pilot signal identifying the repeater node to which to transmit data from the mobile device.

An apparatus for communicating data to and from a mobile device in a network which includes a plurality of repeater nodes, the apparatus comprising

• means for transmitting the data from each of the repeater nodes with a first transmission power to one or more others of the plurality of repeater nodes within one of a plurality of slots of a time frame, each repeater node being allocated a different time slot of the time frame,
• means for transmitting and receiving data to and from one or more of the repeater nodes from and to the mobile device,
• means for transmitting a pilot signal from each repeater node during the same one of the time slots of the time frame with a second transmission power, the second power being less than the first transmission power, the pilot signal including an identifier of the repeater node which is transmitted with the pilot signal, and
• means for receiving the pilot signal at the mobile device from one of the repeater nodes, and from the identifier received in the pilot signal identifying the repeater node to which to transmit data from the mobile device.