A method for estimating a time-of-arrival of a packet received by a receiver includes storing a reference bit-pattern and receiving a plurality of samples in a samples-buffer. In a bit-pattern detector, a matching group of samples having a bit-pattern which matches the reference bit-pattern is identified. In a correlator, a group of three correlation values is determined from the matching group of samples, including a local maximum correlation value, P0, an immediately preceding correlation value, Pm, and an immediately succeeding correlation value Pp. In an estimation unit, a polynomial function f(δ) of the difference, δ, between Pm and Pp is used to estimate a timing offset Tfrac, between the local maximum correlation value and a correlation peak. The time-of-arrival is estimated from a time of the local maximum correlation value P0, and Tfrac.