The present method of initial synchronization of a communication signal includes the steps of symbol boundary search, fractional frequency offset estimation, fractional frequency offset compensation, frame boundary search, integer frequency offset estimation, integer frequency offset compensation, preamble segment ID search and preamble cell ID search. The symbol boundary search includes estimating the boundary of a present data symbol by a correlation index for the present data symbol and the correlation index for the next data symbol. The frame boundary search includes identifying the preamble symbol in the symbols found in the symbol boundary search to determine the frame boundary. The integer frequency offset estimation is derived from the pilot subcarriers of the frame control header of the frame after locating the preamble symbol.