Disclosed is a method for acquiring a user signal from among several received from multiple users in a single burst. The method includes receiving a plurality of user signals in a single transmission burst, suppressing multiuser interference among at least some of the plurality of received signals, and determining a carrier frequency of at least one signal from among the interference suppressed plurality of received signals. Said signals may rotate due to a lack of synchronization while being equalized. Also described is a multiuser receiver for acquiring at least one user signal from among several user signals received from multiple users in a single burst. An antenna is for receiving a plurality of user signals in a single spread spectrum transmission burst, a matched filter is for despreading the signals, a multiuser equalizer is for suppressing mutual interference among at least a portion of the plurality of user signals, and a carrier lock circuit is for determining a carrier frequency of at least one user signal of the portion.