Improved signaling of default and scheduled beams in a Channel Occupancy Time (COT) are provided through a base station that indicates a default or scheduled reception (Rx) or transmission (Tx) beam to a UE for use in the COT. As a result, the base station allows the UE to identify its default or scheduled Rx or Tx beam for its scheduled data at earliest at the beginning of the COT, without having to derive the beam from the QCL of the lowest CORESET ID in a dynamically indicated DCI of the latest monitored slot. The UE can thus more rapidly realize the default or scheduled Rx and/or Tx beam in high unlicensed bands (e.g. 60 GHz) and subsequently communicate with the base station in one or more COTs or a portion of a COT using the default or scheduled Rx or Tx beam.