Telecommunications apparatus and methods

1. A method of operating a first entity in a wireless telecommunications system comprising the first entity and a second entity, wherein the method comprises:

determining there is data to be transmitted from the first entity to the second entity using a series of repeat transmissions for the data;

establishing an initial arrangement of transmission resources from within a time and frequency transmission resource grid to be used for transmitting respective ones of the repeat transmissions from the first entity to the second entity;

starting to transmit the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources according to the initial arrangement;

establishing before the transmission of the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity is complete that a modified arrangement of transmission resources from within the time and frequency transmission resource grid is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions, wherein establishing that the modified arrangement of transmission resources is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions includes

determining that radio channel conditions of the initial arrangement have fallen below an acceptable threshold quality; and

starting to transmit the at least some remaining repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources in accordance with the modified arrangement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial arrangement includes transmissions on one or more frequencies which are not used for transmissions in accordance with the modified arrangement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified arrangement includes transmissions on one or more frequencies which are not used for transmissions in accordance with the initial arrangement.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial arrangement includes transmissions in time slots which are not used for transmissions in accordance with the modified arrangement.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified arrangement includes transmissions in time slots which are not used for transmissions in accordance with the initial arrangement.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modified arrangement includes transmissions on only one frequency.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the initial arrangement includes transmissions on only one frequency.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the modified arrangement to transmit at least some of the repeat transmission results in the series of repeat transmissions transmitted by the first entity to the second entity comprising a different number of repeat transmissions than would be the case of the complete series of repeat transmissions had been transmitted in accordance with the initial arrangement.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing that the modified arrangement of transmission resources is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions comprises receiving arrangement change indicator signalling from the second entity which indicates that the modified arrangement of transmission resources is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the arrangement change indicator signalling further comprises an indication of the modified arrangement of transmission resources.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the arrangement change indicator signalling comprises a predefined signature sequence.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the arrangement change indicator signalling is received in association with downlink control information received from the second entity.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the downlink control information comprises acknowledgement signalling received in relation to a transmission of the series of repeat transmissions, or wherein the downlink control information comprises allocation signalling scheduling a retransmission of the data.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the arrangement change indicator signalling is received on a dedicated physical channel dedicated for arrangement change indicator signalling.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the initial arrangement includes a period of time during which the first entity does not transmit repeat transmissions of the data to the second entity and the arrangement change indicator signalling is received from the second entity during this period.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a period of time during which to transmit the at least some remaining repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources in accordance with the modified arrangement, and after that period of time, starting to transmit at least some of any still remaining repeat transmissions using transmission resources according to the initial arrangement.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising establishing a period of time during which to transmit the at least some of any still remaining repeat transmissions using transmission resources according to the initial arrangement, and after that period of time, starting to transmit at least some of any yet still remaining repeat transmissions using transmission resources according to the modified arrangement.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing before the transmission of the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity is complete that a further modified arrangement of transmission resources from within the time and frequency transmission resource grid is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions; and starting to transmit the at least some remaining repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources in accordance with the further modified arrangement.

19. A first entity for use in a wireless telecommunications system comprising the first entity and a second entity, wherein the first entity comprises controller circuitry and transceiver circuitry configured to operate together such that the first entity is operable to:

determine there is data to be transmitted from the first entity to the second entity using a series of repeat transmissions associated with the data;

establish an initial arrangement of transmission resources from within a time and frequency transmission resource grid to be used for transmitting respective ones of the repeat transmissions from the first entity to the second entity;

start to transmit the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources according to the initial arrangement;

establish before the transmission of the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity is complete that a modified arrangement of transmission resources from within the time and frequency transmission resource grid is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions, wherein establishing that the modified arrangement of transmission resources is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions includes the first entity being further operable to

determine that radio channel conditions of the initial arrangement have fallen below an acceptable threshold quality; and

start to transmit the at least some remaining repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources in accordance with the modified arrangement.

20. Circuitry for a first entity for use in a wireless telecommunications system comprising the first entity and a second entity, wherein the circuitry comprises controller circuitry and transceiver circuitry configured to operate together such that the circuitry is operable to:

determine there is data to be transmitted from the first entity to the second entity using a series of repeat transmissions associated with the data;

establish an initial arrangement of transmission resources from within a time and frequency transmission resource grid to be used for transmitting respective ones of the repeat transmissions from the first entity to the second entity;

start to transmit the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources according to the initial arrangement;

establish before the transmission of the series of repeat transmissions to the second entity is complete that a modified arrangement of transmission resources from within the time and frequency transmission resource grid is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions, wherein the circuitry for establishing that the modified arrangement of transmission resources is used for transmitting at least some of the remaining repeat transmissions is further configured to

determine that radio channel conditions of the initial arrangement have fallen below an acceptable threshold quality; and

start to transmit the at least some remaining repeat transmissions to the second entity using transmission resources in accordance with the modified arrangement.