REGs are mapped to REs for UEs to all available OFDM symbols for a subframe, which includes a time-frequency resource space including the OFDM symbols in time and subcarriers in frequency. The mapping is performed to form a portion of a control channel and the available symbols are OFDM symbols not used for another control channel. The REs are populated in the portion of the control channel with control information for the UEs using corresponding ones of the REGs. The mapping and the populating are performed to form a complete control channel over one or more subframes, wherein the complete control channel can span a single subframe or multiple subframes. The one or more subframes with the complete control channel are transmitted. A UE will blind decode received subframe(s) in order to determine the control information, which is to be subsequently used by the UE to receive or transmit data.