Synchronization in a flexible bandwidth wireless network

1. A method for operating bandwidth determination in a multi-bandwidth wireless cellular communication system, the method comprising:

at a remote unit configured to receive wireless cellular transmissions from a terrestrial base station:

receiving a modulated waveform having a first portion at a first, predetermined bandwidth, containing a value identifying a particular operating bandwidth selected from a plurality of operating bandwidths used for a further portion;

recovering the value from the first portion at the first, predetermined bandwidth; and

recovering information in the further portion at the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value,

wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is a width of a frequency band,

wherein the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value is a width of a frequency band, and

wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is different than the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value is greater than the first, predetermined bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the modulated waveform comprises a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal, and further comprising synchronizing to a timing in response to the primary synchronization signal.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the value identifying the particular operating bandwidth is a chip rate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote unit is configured as a wide-band code-division multiple access (WCDMA) device, a time division duplex (TDD) device, or a Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems (UMTS) device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein recovering the value comprises filtering the first signal portion by an analog filter having a bandpass operable with the first, predetermined bandwidth, and wherein recovering information in the further portion comprises:

configuring the analog filter to a bandpass operable with the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value, and

filtering the further portion by the analog filter having the bandpass operable with the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value.

7. A communication unit configured to receive wireless cellular transmissions from a terrestrial base station, the communication unit comprising:

a receiver configured to:

receive a modulated waveform having a first portion at a first, predetermined bandwidth, containing a value identifying a particular operating bandwidth selected from a plurality of operating bandwidths used for a further portion, wherein both of the first, predetermined bandwidth and the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value is a width of a frequency band, and wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is different than the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value;

recover the value from the first portion at the first, predetermined bandwidth; and

recover information in the further portion at the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value.

8. The communication unit of claim 7 , wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is a lowest operating bandwidth of the plurality of operating bandwidths.

9. The communication unit of claim 7 , wherein the first portion of the modulated waveform comprises a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal, and wherein the receiver is configured to synchronize to a timing in response to the primary synchronization signal.

10. The communication unit of claim 7 , wherein the value identifying the particular operating bandwidth is a chip rate.

11. The communication unit of claim 7 , wherein the receiver comprises at least one reconfigurable filter configured to recover the value from the first portion at the first, predetermined bandwidth and recover the information in the further portion at the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value.

12. The communication unit of claim 11 , wherein the at least one reconfigurable filter comprises an analog filter.

13. The communication unit of claim 7 , wherein the communication unit is configured as a wide-band code-division multiple access (WCDMA) device, a time division duplex (TDD) device, or a Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems (UMTS) device.

14. A terrestrial base station configured to transmit wireless cellular transmissions to a remote unit, the terrestrial base station comprising:

a transmitter configured to send a modulated waveform having a first portion at a first, predetermined bandwidth, containing a value identifying a particular operating bandwidth selected from a plurality of operating bandwidths used for a further portion;

wherein the value is recoverable from the first portion at the first, predetermined bandwidth and information in the further portion is recoverable at the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value;

wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is a width of a frequency band;

wherein the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value is a width of a frequency band; and

wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is different than the particular operating bandwidth identified by the value.

15. The terrestrial base station of claim 14 , wherein the first, predetermined bandwidth is a lowest operating bandwidth of the plurality of operating bandwidths.

16. The terrestrial base station of claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the modulated waveform comprises a primary synchronization signal and a secondary synchronization signal.

17. The terrestrial base station of claim 16 , wherein the primary synchronization signal is sent at a first fixed time offset and the secondary synchronization signal is sent at a second fixed time offset.

18. The terrestrial base station of claim 14 , wherein the value identifying the particular operating bandwidth is a chip rate.

19. The terrestrial base station of claim 14 , wherein the terrestrial base station is a Node B.

20. The terrestrial base station of claim 14 , wherein the terrestrial base station is configured as a wide-band code-division multiple access (WCDMA) device, a time division duplex (TDD) device, or a Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems (UMTS) device.