CELL SEARCH METHOD, FORWARD LINK FRAME TRANSMISSION METHOD, APPARATUS USING THE SAME AND FORWARD LINK FRAME STRUCTURE

In a cellular system in which OFDM is used, a forward link synchronization channel, a common pilot channel structure, an initial cell searching method of a mobile station, and an adjacent cell searching method for handover are required. A method of transmitting a forward synchronization signal in a wireless communication system according to the present invention includes generating a frame comprised of a plurality of sync blocks; and transmitting the frame through a forward link, wherein the frame comprises primary synchronization channel sequences which provide timing information of the sync blocks and a plurality of secondary synchronization channel sequences which provide timing information of the frame, wherein a cell identifier is specified by a combination of the primary synchronization channel sequence and a hopping code word specified by the plurality of the secondary synchronization channel sequences Therefore, the cell searching time can be efficiently reduced in an OFDM system.