Methods, apparatus, and program products are disclosed that perform the following: sending an offset to a user equipment; sending an assignment on a control channel, the assignment corresponding to a random access request by the user equipment, wherein the assignment is addressed to the user equipment by using a value determined using the offset; and sending a random access response for the user equipment on resources of a shared channel, the resources corresponding to the assignment. Methods, apparatus, and program products are disclosed that perform the following: receiving at a user equipment an offset; receiving an assignment on a control channel, the assignment corresponding to a random access request, wherein the assignment is addressed to the user equipment by using a value determined using the offset; and receiving a random access response for the user equipment on resources of a shared channel, the resources corresponding to the assignment.