The identification of wireless communication base stations in a region of high base station density is effected using a specific identification signal pattern transmitted by the base stations. In particular, each base station transmits a signal having a pattern with at least two time phase shifts relative to at least one time benchmark. The combination of these phase shifts allows identification of the transmitting base station. Since a plurality of phase shifts leads to a concomitantly larger number of phase shift combinations, the capacity to identify base stations is enlarged.