CDMA to packet-switching interface for code division switching in a terrestrial wireless system

In an arrangement that includes a plurality of base stations, which base stations are interconnected via one or more access nodes to a core network, a method comprising the steps:

• when a terminal A that is located in a cell that is associated with one of the base stations, base station BSj, wishes to send payload information to the base station BSj, the terminal A sending to the base station BSj an access request message that includes a preamble field and a header field that identifies the terminal A, where said message is spread with a pseudo-random code gj that is allocated to the base station BSj to distinguish transmissions to the base station BSj from transmissions to neighboring base stations;
• the terminal A receiving from the base station BSj an acknowledgment message in response to the sent access request message, said acknowledgment message containing information about an orthogonal code ωa that belongs to a family of orthogonal codes ωm, m=1, 2, . . . , M, where M is a predetermined integer and where the orthogonal code ωa
• (a) is assigned by the base station BSj to the terminal A
• (b) is assigned by the base station BSj to no other terminal at the time of the assigning to the terminal A, and
• (c) is different from orthogonal code ωj, which is reserved by the base station BSj for paging messages;
• and
• following receipt of said acknowledgement message, the terminal A sending to the base station BSj a payload message that contains said payload information, which is spread with the pseudo-random code gj and with the orthogonal code ωa.