Communications device

A communications device comprising:

• a transmitter configured to transmit signals representing data to a network element of a wireless communications system using shared resources of an uplink of a first wireless access interface provided by the network element;
• a receiver configured to receive signals representing data from the network element using shared resources of a downlink of the first wireless access interface, wherein allocations of the shared resources are made by the network element and the uplink of the first wireless access interface is within a first set of resources;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to control the transmitter and the receiver to transmit and to receive signals representing data to and from another communications device using a second wireless access interface which is within a second set of resources, the second set of resources being formed from resources of the first set of resources for preferable allocation for device-to-device communications by the network element, and resources of the second wireless access interface are divided in time into at least a data region and a control region.

A method performed by a communications device, the method comprising:

• transmitting signals representing data to a network element of a wireless communications system using shared resources of an uplink of a first wireless access interface provided by the network element;
• receiving signals representing data from the network element using shared resources of a downlink of the first wireless access interface, wherein allocations of the shared resources are made by the network element and the uplink of the first wireless access interface is within a first set of resources;
• and
• transmitting to and receiving signals representing data to and from another communications device using a second wireless access interface which is within a second set of resources, the second set of resources being formed from resources of the first set of resources for preferable allocation for device-to-device communications by the network element, and resources of the second wireless access interface are divided in time into at least a data region and a control region.