Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for random access channel (RACH) design using basis functions are provided. One method includes receiving, at an access point employing a receiver with Q antennas, a random access channel (RACH) preamble sent from a mobile unit. The receiving may comprise receiving the same RACH preamble at B different time intervals where the access point beamforms with a different beam selected from B basis function beams at each of the different time intervals.