Channel identification in a mimo telecommunications system

A multiple-input, multiple output telecommunication system, comprising:

• a head-end unit communicatively couplable to a first port and a second port of a base station for receiving downlink signals via channels corresponding to the first port and the second port, the head-end unit being configured to:
• extract a first cell-specific reference signal from one of (a) a first downlink signal of the downlink signals that does not include an embedded synchronization signal or (b) a second downlink signal of the downlink signals that includes the embedded synchronization signal and is associated with a secondary channel of the channels;
• generate a second cell-specific reference signal using signal information from at least one of the downlink signals;
• and
• determine a channel identification for each of the channels by correlating the first cell-specific reference signal and the second cell-specific reference signal;
• and
• one or more access points communicatively couplable to the head-end unit to receive the downlink signals and channel properties of the base station corresponding to the channel identification.

A method, comprising:

• receiving a plurality of signals from ports of a base station, the ports corresponding to at least a primary channel and a secondary channel;
• extracting a first cell-specific reference signal from a signal of the plurality of signals, the signal including one of (a) a first signal having an embedded synchronization signal and received via the secondary channel or (b) a second signal that does not have the embedded synchronization signal;
• generating a second cell-specific reference signal using signal information from at least one of the plurality of signals;
• and
• determining a channel identification corresponding to a port of the base station by correlating the first cell-specific reference signal and the second cell-specific reference signal.