an apparatus and method for controlling the timing of control bursts in a wireless communications network maps the timing of control bursts on a multiframe by multiframe basis . in one implementation , a method of controlling base station transmissions in a wireless network in accordance with a multi - frame timing structure is provided . the method is defined as a succession of y frames , each frame including a succession of x time - slots , and includes allocating a frame / time - slot number pair to set the timing of a first - type control burst for a first multi - frame , and changing at least one of the frame number and frame number and time - slot number of the frame / time - slot number pair for a second multi - frame so that the timing of the first - type control burst is different during the second multi - frame relative to the first multi - frame .