Communications apparatus and method for carrier search

A carrier search method, for a communication apparatus, comprising:

• determining a target radio access technology and initiating a carrier search;
• searching for a first center frequency of a first cell corresponding to a target radio access technology;
• checking whether extra system information corresponding to a second cell has been broadcasted by the detected network when the first center frequency of the first cell has been found;
• receiving the extra system information corresponding to the second cell if the extra system information corresponding to the second cell is broadcasted by the detected network;
• searching for a second center frequency of the second cell according to the extra system information corresponding to the second cell, if the extra system information corresponding to the second cell is broadcasted by the detected network;
• storing the extra system information corresponding to the second cell to a memory device;
• and
• skipping some carriers of the target radio access technology according to the main and extra system information stored in the memory device during a next carrier search,
• wherein the extra system information includes at least one of SystemInformationBlockType5 (SIB5), SIB6, SIB7 and SIB8.