New Radio beam-based Access to Unlicensed Spectrum: Design Challenges and Solutions
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Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) enabled LTE operators to access unlicensed spectrum while adhering to Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) requirements. LAA is based on enhancements over 4G LTE technology. Differently, 5G New Radio (NR) technology is being designed from the start to support operation in unlicensed bands through a technology referred to as NR-based access to unlicensed spectrum (NR-U). A large amount of unlicensed spectrum has been allocated in millimeter-wave (mmWave) bands, making it an attractive candidate for NR-U. However, the propagation characteristics in mmWave often require beam-based transmissions. Beam-based transmissions enhance spatial reuse, but also complicate interference management due to the dynamic nature of the directional antennas. Therefore, some major design principles need to be revisited in NR-U to address coexistence. This paper elaborates on the design challenges, opportunities, and solutions for NR-U by taking into account beam-based transmissions and the worldwide regulatory requirements. In particular, different problems and the potential solutions related to channel access procedures, frame structure, initial access procedures, HARQ procedures, and scheduling schemes are discussed.
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