Methods of providing power headroom reports arranged in order of component carrier indices and related wireless terminals and base stations

A method of receiving power headroom reports at a base station from a wireless terminal, the method comprising:

• providing a primary component carrier and at least one secondary component carrier for uplink communications from the wireless terminal to the base station, wherein a respective component carrier index is assigned to each of the at least one secondary component carriers provided for the wireless terminal;
• receiving a MAC control element including power headroom reports for the primary and secondary component carriers from the wireless terminal over one of the component carriers;
• and
• associating each of the power headroom reports of the MAC control element with a respective one of the primary and/or secondary component carriers based on an order in which the power headroom reports are arranged in the MAC control element and based on the component carrier indices assigned to each of the at least one secondary component carriers.

A base station comprising:

• an assignment processor configured to provide a primary component carrier and at least one secondary component carrier for uplink communications from the wireless terminal to the base station, wherein a respective component carrier index is assigned to each of the at least one secondary component carriers provided for the wireless terminal;
• and
• RF circuitry coupled to the assignment processor 732, wherein the RF circuitry 720 is configured to receive a MAC control element including power headroom reports for the primary and secondary component carriers from the wireless terminal over one of the component carriers;
• wherein the assignment processor is further configured to associate each of the power headroom reports of the MAC control element with a respective one of the primary and/or secondary component carriers based on an order in which the power headroom reports are arranged in the MAC control element and based on the component carrier indices assigned to the secondary component carriers.