A downlink transmission method for use in a multi-hop communication system, the system comprising a base station (BS), a mobile station (MS) and one or more relay stations (RS), and the system providing two or more different communication paths extending between the base station and the mobile station, the base station being operable to transmit information indirectly to the mobile station along a series of links forming a first such communication path via one or more of said relays and also being operable to transmit information to the mobile station along one link or a series of links forming a second such communication path; the method comprising transmitting particular information from the base station along the first and second communication paths and combining the same particular information transmitted along the first and second communication paths in the mobile station.