What is Beam Acquisition?
Beam acquisition is the process by which a 5G NR UE discovers available beams from a gNB and establishes a beam-based radio link during initial access. It is especially critical in FR2 (mmWave) deployments where highly directional narrow beams require precise spatial alignment between the gNB and UE.
How Does Beam Acquisition Work?
The gNB transmits Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) sequentially in different beam directions through a beam sweep (up to 64 SSB beams in FR2). The UE measures RSRP from each SSB and selects the best beam. The UE then uses the PRACH (Random Access Channel) to respond on the corresponding uplink beam, completing initial beam pair link establishment.
Use Cases
Initial 5G cell access and registration, handover to a new gNB or new beam set, beam failure recovery after sudden signal blockage in mmWave environments.
3GPP / Standards Reference
3GPP TS 38.213, TS 38.300 (Beam Management Framework)
Related Terms
Beamforming | Beam steering | gNB | mmWave | RACH
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