A method of managing processing resources in a mobile radio system, in which a first entity manages radio resources and corresponding processing resources, the latter being provided in a second entity separate from the first entity, in which method: the second entity signals to the first entity its global processing capacity, or capacity credit, and the consumption law, or amount of said global processing capacity, or cost, for different spreading factor values, the first entity updates the capacity credit on the basis of the consumption law, and in the case of variable spreading factor and/or variable number of spreading codes, said updating is effected on the basis of a reference spreading factor and/or a reference number of spreading codes.