Disclosed is a method, apparatus and a computer readable memory medium that stores a program of computer instructions for enabling a resource allocation to be made for user equipment. The method includes forming a resource allocation for a particular system bandwidth, where the resource allocation has a larger number of resource blocks than a maximum number of resource blocks associated with the particular system bandwidth, while maintaining a same resource block group size as would be present with the maximum number of resource blocks for the particular system bandwidth. The step of forming includes the use of an extended parameter in a derivation of the resource allocation. The method further includes transmitting information descriptive of the resource allocation to user equipment. The resource allocation may be a downlink resource allocation or an uplink resource allocation.