A wide area communication system (100,200) employs a method and apparatus
for providing a localized information (410) to a communication device
(500) located in the wide area communication system (100,200). The wide
area communication system (100,200) includes a plurality of local coverage
areas (110-112, 219-225) that are each served by one or more broadcast
transmission sites (103-108, 203-212). A broadcast transmission site (300)
providing communication service to a local coverage area that includes the
communication device (500) transmit, during a first pre-allocated time
interval and/or together with a first pre-allocated broadcast address,
information relating to their local coverage area. During a second time
interval and/or together with an individual address (414) of the
communication device (500), the same broadcast transmission sites together
with other broadcast transmission sites in the wide area communication
system (100, 200) transmit an individualized information (418) to the
communication device (500).