Within a radio access network (11₁, 11₂) an access point (18₁, 18₂, 18₃ and 18₄) selects a channel by first randomly choosing a channel from those available for use. The Access Point then monitors the channel for a random interval to determine if the channel is presently carrying traffic. The Access Point will select the channel unless the channel is in use by another AP. If so, then the AP will select another channel and commence monitoring for a random interval in order to determine whether the channel is available. The AP will continue to choose channels until a suitable channel is found, or all available channels have been exhausted.