Telecommunications apparatus and methods

Abstract

A method of operating a terminal device and a base station in a wireless telecommunications system to communicate with one another using a primary component carrier operating on radio resources within a first frequency band and a secondary component carrier operating on radio resources within a second frequency band. The terminal device makes measurements of radio usage in the second frequency band, e.g. by other devices which are not part of the wireless telecommunications system but which can also use radio resources within the second frequency band. The terminal device transmits an indication of the measurements to the base station, and on the basis if this the base station establishes a configuration setting for the secondary component carrier, for example in terms of frequency resources to use for the secondary component carrier. The configuration setting is associated with a validity period during which the base station communicates data to the terminal device using the primary component carrier and the secondary component carrier operating in accordance with its configuration setting. When the validity period expires, the terminal device again measures and reports on radio usage so the base station can determine an updated configuration setting for the secondary component carrier that takes account of any changes in radio usage during the validity period.