FIELD: radio communications. SUBSTANCE: when two overlapping sets of channels are being polled during two separate polling stages, information received during first channel polling may be used to reduce time required for second polling of channels. For example, if special-purpose control channels and paging channels of cellular telephone communication system are overlapping, then it will be unnecessary to interrogate channels being overlapped while polling paging channels. In addition, polling time can be reduced when polling of particular channel is terminated in case this channel is found to be undesirable. EFFECT: reduced polling time and reduced number of channels to be polled due to using information received earlier in the course of polling. 9 cl, 9 dwg
