Various communication systems may benefit from improved network access. For example, communication systems may benefit from deriving a radio network temporary identification at both a user equipment and a base station, without requiring additional uplink signaling. A method, in certain embodiments, may include sending a short identification from a user equipment to a base station during a contention based access instance. The short identification is generated based on an initial cell radio network temporary identification. The method may also include receiving at the user equipment a user equipment radio network temporary identification from the base station. The user equipment radio network temporary identification is based on the short identification. In addition, the method may include generating at the user equipment a subsequent cell radio network temporary identification based at least on the short identification and the received user equipment radio network temporary identification.