A network entity, a wireless communication system and a method for deriving a cell candidate list from a neighbour list

A method for a small cell (e.g. femtocell or picocell) access point to use neighbour cell broadcast information to derive a cell candidate list is described. The method comprises, at the small cell access point: performing a network listen, NWL, scan and identifying a broadcast transmission from a plurality of macro cell base station, BTSs; detecting at least one parameter from each broadcast transmission, wherein the at least one parameter acts as a signature for small cell neighbours to distinguish small cell neighbours from macro cell neighbours; and using the at least one parameter to derive a cell candidate list of candidate operating parameters. By identifying small cell neigbours using the detected parameter acting as a small cell signature a cell candidate list may be derived that avoids small cells frequency/scrambling codes being accidently removed from the neighbor cell list. The parameter may be a signal quality, signal power or Qoffset parameter transmitted in a System Information Block SIB broadcast from the macro cells.