A computer implemented method for radio cell synchronization, the method comprising: receiving, from a base station , by a processor of a user equipment (UE), a wireless signal , the wireless signal comprising a plurality of synchronization signals identical to each other that repeat in predetermined time intervals, the synchronization signals comprising a plurality of synchronization symbols having the same data and different sign bits; for a plurality of coarse candidate synchronization points: dividing, by the processor , the wireless signal into a plurality of signal segments, each equal or longer than the time interval in duration, and each including a plurality of sub-segments having same time duration as a symbol of the plurality of synchronization symbols ; calculating, by the processor , symbol-length cross-correlations between an expected symbol and the sub-segments; calculating, by the processor , segmented symbol-wise correlations between the symbol-length cross-correlation results; calculating, by the processor , a cost function based on the results of the symbol-wise correlations; accumulating, by the processor , the cost functions across a plurality of signal segments; and selecting, by the processor , a coarse synchronization point from the plurality of candidate synchronization points, wherein the coarse synchronization point is selected to be at the location of the highest peak of the accumulated cost functions in its absolute value. receiving, from a base station , by a processor of a user equipment (UE), a wireless signal , the wireless signal comprising a plurality of synchronization signals identical to each other that repeat in predetermined time intervals, the synchronization signals comprising a plurality of synchronization symbols having the same data and different sign bits; for a plurality of coarse candidate synchronization points: dividing, by the processor , the wireless signal into a plurality of signal segments, each equal or longer than the time interval in duration, and each including a plurality of sub-segments having same time duration as a symbol of the plurality of synchronization symbols ; calculating, by the processor , symbol-length cross-correlations between an expected symbol and the sub-segments; calculating, by the processor , segmented symbol-wise correlations between the symbol-length cross-correlation results; calculating, by the processor , a cost function based on the results of the symbol-wise correlations; dividing, by the processor , the wireless signal into a plurality of signal segments, each equal or longer than the time interval in duration, and each including a plurality of sub-segments having same time duration as a symbol of the plurality of synchronization symbols ; calculating, by the processor , symbol-length cross-correlations between an expected symbol and the sub-segments; calculating, by the processor , segmented symbol-wise correlations between the symbol-length cross-correlation results; calculating, by the processor , a cost function based on the results of the symbol-wise correlations; accumulating, by the processor , the cost functions across a plurality of signal segments; and selecting, by the processor , a coarse synchronization point from the plurality of candidate synchronization points, wherein the coarse synchronization point is selected to be at the location of the highest peak of the accumulated cost functions in its absolute value. <EOS>