Relaying Multicast Data in a Wireless Network

A relay node for a wireless network, said relay node being configured for transmissions on the basis of a radio frame comprising one or more subframes for unicast transmission and one or more subframes for multicast transmission, the relay node comprising:

• at least one radio interface for communication with a base station and one or more mobile terminals;
• and
• a processor for controlling operations of the relay node, said operations of the relay node comprising:
• receiving, via the at least one radio interface, multicast data from the base station in one or more subframes selectable from the one or more subframes for unicast transmission and the one or more subframes for multicast transmission;
• and
• transmitting, via the at least one radio interface, the received multicast data in one or more of the subframes for multicast transmission.

A base station for a wireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises at least one relay node, said relay node being configured for transmissions on the basis of a radio frame comprising one or more subframes for unicast transmission and one or more subframes for multicast transmission, the base station comprising:

• at least one radio interface for communication with one or more mobile terminals and at least one relay node;
• and
• a processor for controlling operations of the base station, said operations of the base station comprising:
• transmitting, via the at least one radio interface, multicast data to the at least one relay node in one or more subframes selectable from the one or more subframes for unicast transmission and the one or more subframes for multicast transmission.

A wireless network system, comprising:

• a base station;
• and
• a relay node configured for transmissions on the basis of a radio frame comprising one or more subframes for unicast transmission and one or more subframes for multicast transmission,
• wherein the base station is configured to:
• transmit multicast data to the relay node in one or more subframes selectable from the one or more subframes for unicast transmission and the one or more subframes for multicast transmission, and
• wherein the relay node is configured to:
• receive the multicast data as transmitted by the base station, and
• transmit the received multicast data in one or more of the subframes for multicast transmission.