The present disclosure provides a mobile communications system and method for communicating data to and/or from mobile communications devices. The method includes receiving, by a mobile terminal, a signal on a downlink from a base station, detecting a virtual carrier on the downlink, and receiving downlink communications via the virtual carrier, wherein the virtual carrier is configured to provide a first set of resource elements within first frequency resources that are within and smaller than second frequency resources that are used by a host carrier to provide a second set of resource elements, wherein the virtual carrier is provided in the first frequency resources in a first sub-frame, wherein the virtual carrier is provided in third frequency resources in a second sub-frame after the first sub-frame, and wherein the third frequency resources are within and smaller than the first frequency resources.