5G Explained: Initial Acquisition Procedures in 5G NR

This video discusses initial acquisition procedures starting with cell search. By acquiring the primary and secondary synchronization signals (PSS and SSS), you can see the timing and the knowledge of the physical cell identity. The video then discusses broadcast channel (BCH) decoding, how the UE determines the synchronization signal block index with help of the associated demodulation reference signals (DMRS), and the role of the index in initial beamforming acquisition. The master information block, which is carried by the BCH, contains information about the system information block type 1 (SIB1), the next piece of information the UE looks for.

The video then illustrates the random access procedure between the UE and the gNodeB, which enables UEs to get onto the network after receiving the SIB1.