Abstract: A method for increasing information transfer in a communication system, such as a packet-based GPRS/EDGE system, within a mobile station that does not receive and transmit at the same time, includes providing a system with extended multislot capacity. with such extended capacity, transfer rates can be increased by providing a timing advance offset between the uplink and downlink timeslots in order to provide the mobile station sufficient frequency switching time and setup between downlink, uplink, and neighbouring cell measurement operations. As a result, transferring information between the base station and mobile station can be done such that all frequency siwtching and setup between downlink, uplink, and neighbouring cell measurement operations during a frame is completed within two or less timeslots, leaving the remaining greater number of timeslots available for increased information transfer.

Abstract: This application relates to channel allocation in a TDMA communication system.

Abstract: The invention provides a communications system having a novel multi-frame signal format. Frequency correction information is transmitted in a time slot of a frame immediately preceding a timeslot in which synchronization information is transmitted. The invention allows faster synchronization to a cell in the communication system.