Radio communications in narrowband regions of unlicensed spectrum

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• perform a random access procedure with a base station (BS);
• determine, using an energy detector (ED), that received energy in a first bandwidth (BW) is lower than a threshold;
• transmit a capability report to the BS indicating that the apparatus can only transmit a signal over a second BW that is smaller than the first BW and contained within the first BW or a third BW that is smaller than the first BW, and can only receive a signal over a fourth BW smaller than the first BW;
• and
• transmit, in response to determining that received energy in the first BW is lower than the threshold, a first uplink (UL) transmission to the BS in the second BW;
• and
• a memory coupled with the processor.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• determine, using an energy detector (ED), that received energy in a first bandwidth (BW) is lower than a threshold;
• transmit, in response to determining that received energy in the first BW is lower than the threshold, a first uplink (UL) transmission to a base station (BS) in a second BW smaller than the first BW and contained within the first BW;
• and
• receive a downlink control information (DCI) scheduling the apparatus to transmit a second UL transmission in the second BW during a slot, wherein another apparatus is scheduled to transmit a third UL transmission in the first BW during the slot;
• and
• a memory coupled with the processor.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• determine, using an energy detector (ED), that received energy in a first bandwidth (BW) is lower than a threshold;
• perform a category 4 (CAT4) listen before transmitting (LBT) procedure in the first BW, wherein the processor is configured to perform the CAT4 LBT by transmitting a first channel occupancy time (COT) initial signal in a second BW contained within the first BW, wherein transmitting the first COT initial signal indicates that the apparatus will share the second BW with a first user equipment (UE) during the COT;
• and
• transmit, in response to determining that received energy in the first BW is lower than the threshold, a first uplink (UL) transmission to a base station (BS) in a third BW different from the second BW, smaller than the first BW, and contained within the first BW;
• and
• a memory coupled with the processor.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• receive, from a base station (BS), a radio resource control (RRC) message indicating that another BS is capable of supporting the apparatus;
• determine, using an energy detector (ED), that received energy in a first bandwidth (BW) is lower than a threshold;
• and
• transmit, in response to determining that received energy in the first BW is lower than the threshold, a first uplink (UL) transmission to the other BS in a second BW smaller than the first BW and contained within the first BW;
• and
• a memory coupled with the processor.

An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• transmit an indication to a user equipment (UE) that the apparatus supports UEs that detect received energy in a first bandwidth (BW) and transmit in a second BW smaller than the first BW and contained within the first BW;
• and
• receive a first uplink (UL) transmission from the UE in the second BW;
• and
• a memory coupled with the processor.