Method and apparatus for controlling carrier selection in wireless communications systems

A base station in a mobile communications system comprising an arrangement of at least one base station configured to communicate data to and/or from different types of terminal devices via respective ones of a plurality of logically separate carriers of a wireless access interface, the base station comprising:

• a communication interface configured to
• broadcast synchronisation signaling on a carrier in a format that allows two different types of terminal devices to synchronize with the carrier to begin a camp-on procedure;
• and
• broadcast a control channel on the carrier associated with the camp-on procedure, wherein
• an aspect of the control channel indicates to one of the two different types of terminal device whether or not that terminal device should continue with the camp-on procedure.

A method for assisting carrier selection in a mobile communications system comprising:

• an arrangement of at least one base station configured to communicate data to and/or from different types of terminal device via respective ones of a plurality of logically separate carriers of a wireless access interface;
• and in which a first terminal device is operable to camp-on to a first carrier of the plurality of carriers and to subsequently communicate data with the arrangement of at least one base station via the first carrier, and a second terminal device is operable to camp-on to a second carrier of the plurality of carriers and to subsequently communicate data with the arrangement of at least one base station via the second carrier, wherein the method comprises:
• broadcasting the first and second carriers with compatible synchronisation signaling such that the first and second terminal devices both have the ability to synchronize with the first and second carriers to begin a camp-on procedure;
• broadcasting a control channel on each of the carriers;
• and
• determining at a terminal device that has synchronized with one of the carriers to begin a camp-on procedure whether or not to continue with the camp-on procedure in dependence on an aspect of the control channel of the carrier with which it has synchronized.

A method for assisting carrier selection performed by a base station in a mobile communications system comprising an arrangement of at least one base station configured to communicate data to and/or from different types of terminal device via respective ones of a plurality of logically separate carriers of a wireless access interface;

• the method comprising:
• broadcasting synchronisation signaling on a carrier in a format that allows two different types of terminal device to synchronize with the carrier to begin a camp-on procedure;
• and
• broadcasting a control channel associated with the camp-on procedure on the carrier, wherein
• an aspect of the control channel indicates to one of the two different types of terminal device whether or not that terminal device should continue with the camp-on procedure.