Exemplary embodiments described herein include systems, methods, and nodes for contention-based random access. A method for random access in a wireless network includes receiving, at an access node, a plurality of orthogonal preambles from a wireless device requesting a connection to the access node. The plurality of orthogonal preambles is transmitted simultaneously from the wireless device. The method further includes transmitting a random access response to the wireless device.

A system for random access in a wireless network includes an access node for providing network services to one or more wireless devices, and a processor communicatively coupled to the access node. The processor configures the access node to perform operations including receiving a plurality of preambles from said one or more wireless devices requesting a connection to the access node, and transmitting a random access response to at least one of said one or more wireless devices. At least a portion of the plurality of preambles is received simultaneously from a first wireless device of said one or more wireless devices.

A wireless device for random access in a wireless network includes a processor for enabling the wireless device to perform operations including selecting two or more random access preambles from a plurality of random access preambles that are orthogonal to one another, and transmitting said two or more random access preambles to an access node using a single subframe of a physical random access channel (PRACH).