Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a transmitter, a receiver and methods of operating a transmitter and a receiver. In one embodiment, the transmitter is for use with a base station in a cellular communication system and includes a partitioning unit configured to provide first and second groups of guard subcarriers that partition a synchronization portion from data portions in a downlink synchronization signal. The transmitter also includes a transmit unit configured to transmit the downlink synchronization signal. Additionally, the receiver is for use with user equipment in a cellular communication system and includes a receive unit configured to receive a downlink synchronization signal. The receiver also includes a processing unit configured to provide a synchronization portion based on employing first and second groups of guard subcarriers that partition the synchronization portion from data portions of the downlink synchronization signal.