Unlicensed spectrum access in integrated access and backhaul

A method, comprising:

• sensing, using a first entity of a wireless node, a shared medium;
• transmitting, using the first entity of the wireless node, a first plurality of signals for a first duration and over the shared medium in response to the sensed shared medium being in an idle state;
• and
• transmitting, based at least in part on a second entity of the wireless node being allowed to use the shared medium without sensing the shared medium, a second plurality of signals for a second duration and over the shared medium using the second entity of the wireless node.

A wireless network node comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, the processor configured to cause the wireless network node to:
• sense, using one of an integrated access and backhaul distributed unit (“IAB-DU”) and an IAB-mobile terminal (“MT”), a shared medium;
• transmit, using the one of the IAB-DU and the IAB-MT, a first plurality of signals for a first duration and over the shared medium in response to the sensed shared medium being in an idle state;
• and
• transmit, based at least in part on the other of the one of the IAB-DU and the IAB-MT being allowed to use the shared medium without sensing the shared medium, a second plurality of signals for a second duration and over the shared medium using the other of the one of the IAB-DU and the IAB-MT.