Flexible configuration of synchronization signal block time locations

A method of wireless communication performed by a network entity, comprising:

• determining one or more time locations corresponding to one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and corresponding to one or more neighbor cells,
• wherein a time location for a synchronization signal block (SSB) indicates a location in time of the SSB within a synchronization signal (SS) burst set or within an SSB measurement time configuration (SMTC) window;
• and
• transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), an indication of the one or more time locations,
• wherein an index of the SSB corresponds to the time location, and
• wherein a cell timing of the one or more neighbor cells is determined based at least in part on the index.

A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to:
• receive an indication of one or more time locations corresponding to one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) included in a synchronization signal (SS) burst set and corresponding to one or more neighbor cells;
• detect an SSB of the one or more SSBs,
• wherein a time location for the detected SSB indicates a location in time of the detected SSB within the SS burst set or within an SSB measurement time configuration (SMTC) window;
• and
• determine a cell timing of the one or more neighbor cells based at least in part on the indication and an index, of the detected SSB, corresponding to the one or more time locations.

A network entity for wireless communication, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to:
• determine one or more time locations corresponding to one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and corresponding to one or more neighbor cells,
• wherein a time location for a synchronization signal block (SSB) indicates a location in time of the SSB within a synchronization signal (SS) burst set or within an SSB measurement time configuration (SMTC) window;
• and
• transmit, to a user equipment (UE), an indication of the one or more time locations,
• wherein an index of the SSB corresponds to the time location, and
• wherein a cell timing of the one or more neighbor cells is determined based at least in part on the index.