Allocating transmission resources in an OFDM mobile telecommunication system

A method of allocating transmission resources in an OFDM wireless telecommunication system, such as third (3G) or fourth generation (4G) mobile telecommunications systems, arranged to communicate data using a plurality of OFDM subâ carriers. The method comprises allocating transmission resources provided by a first group of the plurality of OFDM sub-carriers within a first frequency band to terminals of a first type; allocating transmission resources provided by a second group of the plurality of OFDM sub-carriers within a second frequency band to terminals of a second type, the second group being smaller than the first group and the second frequency band being selected from within the first frequency band; transmitting control information comprising resource allocation information for terminals of the first type over a first bandwidth corresponding to the combined first and second groups of OFDM sub-carriers; and then transmitting control information comprising resource allocation information for terminals of the second type over a second bandwidth corresponding to the second group of OFDM sub-carriers. The second type of terminal may be machine type communication (MTC) devices, which may only require to send small amounts of data occasionally. The invention provides for a subset of OFDM sub-carriers to be defined across a reduced bandwidth for such devices.