A
telecommunications system, for communicating data to and from a
mobile device. The
system comprises a plurality of
repeater nodes, each
repeater node having a
transceiver unit operable to transmit and receive data to or from one or more other of the
repeater nodes or the control node or the
mobile device within a predetermined range, and
processing unit operable to control the
transceiver unit. The
system also comprises a control node operable to transmit data in a downstream direction from the control node to the
mobile device via the repeater nodes and to receive data from the mobile device transmitted in an upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes. The control node, the mobile device and the plurality of repeater nodes are arranged to communicate the data in the downstream direction from the control node to the mobile device via the repeater nodes using a
time frame divided into a plurality of time slots, and to communicate the data in the upstream direction from the mobile device to the control node via the repeater nodes using the
time frame, and the time slots of the
time frame are allocated to the repeater nodes to the effect that each repeater nodes transmits to another repeater node in one of the upstream or the downstream directions in a time slot which is a minimal time from the time slot in which the other repeater node transmits in the upstream or downstream direction. The
telecommunications system reduces the time taken for upstream or downstream data to be transmitted from a mobile terminal within the network, via the repeater nodes to the control node.