A user equipment apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: search one or more pre-defined locations relative to a cell-specific reference signal for receiving, from a network, a beam configuration for each of a plurality of antenna ports of a plurality of transmit-receive points, operating in a cell; and within a beam sweeping period defined by the longest sweeping duration among the signaled beam configurations: receive at least one beam reference signal, transmitted by a given one of the antenna ports of a respective one of the transmit-receive points in a first portion of sweeping subframes; and receive at least one of control signaling and data from the given one of the antenna ports in a second portion of the sweeping subframes without beam reference signal transmission from the given one of the antenna ports, wherein a sweeping duration of the given one of the antenna ports is shorter than the longest sweeping duration. at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to: search one or more pre-defined locations relative to a cell-specific reference signal for receiving, from a network, a beam configuration for each of a plurality of antenna ports of a plurality of transmit-receive points, operating in a cell; and within a beam sweeping period defined by the longest sweeping duration among the signaled beam configurations: receive at least one beam reference signal, transmitted by a given one of the antenna ports of a respective one of the transmit-receive points in a first portion of sweeping subframes; and receive at least one of control signaling and data from the given one of the antenna ports in a second portion of the sweeping subframes without beam reference signal transmission from the given one of the antenna ports, wherein a sweeping duration of the given one of the antenna ports is shorter than the longest sweeping duration. search one or more pre-defined locations relative to a cell-specific reference signal for receiving, from a network, a beam configuration for each of a plurality of antenna ports of a plurality of transmit-receive points, operating in a cell; and within a beam sweeping period defined by the longest sweeping duration among the signaled beam configurations: receive at least one beam reference signal, transmitted by a given one of the antenna ports of a respective one of the transmit-receive points in a first portion of sweeping subframes; and receive at least one of control signaling and data from the given one of the antenna ports in a second portion of the sweeping subframes without beam reference signal transmission from the given one of the antenna ports, wherein a sweeping duration of the given one of the antenna ports is shorter than the longest sweeping duration. receive at least one beam reference signal, transmitted by a given one of the antenna ports of a respective one of the transmit-receive points in a first portion of sweeping subframes; and receive at least one of control signaling and data from the given one of the antenna ports in a second portion of the sweeping subframes without beam reference signal transmission from the given one of the antenna ports, wherein a sweeping duration of the given one of the antenna ports is shorter than the longest sweeping duration.