The technology described in this case facilitates random access by a user terminal with a radio base station. A user terminal determines one of a first type of uplink scrambling sequences and generates a random access message using the determined one of the first type of uplink scrambling sequences. The random access message is transmitted to the base station. The user terminal receives from the base station a second, different type of uplink scrambling sequence and uses it for subsequent communication with the radio base station. For example, the first uplink scrambling sequences may he specifically associated with the radio base station's cell area or a random access radio channel associated with the radio base station, but they arc not specifically assigned to any user terminal, and the second uplink scrambling sequence may be selected from a second set of uplink scrambling sequences specifically assignable to individual user terminals.