SSB beam optimization: beam sweep pattern, SSB periodicity tuning

SSB Beam Count and Periodicity

In 5G NR, Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) beams are the foundation of initial access — UEs detect and measure SSB beams to identify cells, perform initial synchronization, and select the best serving beam. SSB beam count determines how many directional beams the gNB transmits during each SSB burst. For FR1 (sub-6 GHz), the maximum is 8 SSB beams per half-frame. For FR2 (mmWave), the maximum is 64. More beams provide finer angular resolution and higher per-beam gain, but consume more time-domain resources for the beam sweep. In FR1 with 64T64R Massive MIMO panels, typically 4-8 SSB beams…