Physical layer structures and related access schemes for unsynchronized communication networks are provided. Access channel information, preferably including a common synchronization code associated with all
transceiver stations in a communication network and a
cell-specific synchronization code uniquely associated with one of the
transceiver stations, is modulated onto at least one set of time-
continuous signal components of a communication
signal. In order to access the communication network, communication terminals search for the access channel information in one or more sets of time-
continuous signal components and synchronization parameters are then determined based on a location of the access channel information in the sets of time-
continuous signal components. Some embodiments of the invention provide for joint
frame synchronization and coarse timing synchronization. In further embodiments, the communication
signal also includes a scattered
pilot channel onto which a portion of the access channel information, preferably the
cell-specific synchronization code, is modulated. The
pilot channels may then be re-used for initial access operations in addition to its conventional uses for such operations as channel
estimation.