Methods and apparatus for resource management in a multi-carrier telecommunications system

A radio base station for resource management in a multi-carrier system comprising a cell served by the radio base station and wherein a plurality of component carriers (CCs) are defined for said cell, the radio base station comprising:

• an assembler configured to assemble a message comprising information on a structure of the cell, said information including at least one CC used in the cell that is available for a user equipment (UE) for performing random access in the cell, wherein the information in said message further comprises at least one dedicated preamble to use by said UE for an initial random access in the cell and further comprises an indication of what said at least one CC the at least one preamble is valid;
• and
• a transceiver configured to transmit said message to the UE and further configured to indicate to said UE to what at least one resource the UE is to use for random access in the cell.

A user equipment (UE) capable in operating in a multi-carrier system comprising a radio base station serving a cell wherein a plurality of component carriers (CCs) are defined, the UE comprises:

• a transceiver configured to receive from the radio base station a message assembled by said radio base station, said message comprising information including at least one CC used in the cell that is available to the UE for performing random access in the cell, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive in the assembled message at least one dedicated preamble to use by said UE for an initial random access in the cell and further receive in said message an indication of on which said at least one CC the at least one preamble is valid and for which the UE is allowed to use at least one PRACH resource;
• a processing unit configure to determine, based on the received information, to what at least one resource to use in the cell, and further configured to select at least one resource and the UE is further configured to perform a random access in the cell based on the determined information.