A method is provided of transmitting a control message on a Forward Access Channel (FACH) from a base station in a network for mobile telecommunications in response to a Random Access Channel (RACH) message received from a mobile user terminal. The RACH message indicates to the base station a value of a parameter dependent upon signal attenuation between base station and mobile user terminal. The control message is transmitted repeatedly, the number of times transmission of the FACH control message is repeated being selected dependent upon the value of the parameter.