Rate-matching design for transmitting 16-qam in downlink in tdd nb-iot

A method by a network node, the method comprising:

• indicating, to a user equipment (UE), a modulation to be used for a narrowband physical downlink shared channel (NPDSCH) in a downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) in a special subframe with a special subframe configuration in time division duplex (TDD) narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT),
• wherein the network node configures the UE with the special subframe configuration,
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, if the indicated modulation is 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM),
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, if the indicated modulation is a modulation with lower modulation order than 16-QAM,
• wherein the NPDSCH is without repetitions.

A method by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

• receiving, from a network node, an indication of a modulation to be used for a narrowband physical downlink shared channel (NPDSCH) in a downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) in a special subframe with a special subframe configuration in time division duplex (TDD) narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT),
• wherein the UE is configured with the special subframe configuration by the network node,
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, if the indicated modulation is 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM), wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, if the indicated modulation is a modulation with lower modulation order than 16-QAM,
• wherein the NPDSCH is without repetitions.

A network node comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the network node to:

• indicate, to a user equipment (UE) a modulation to be used for a narrowband physical downlink shared channel (NPDSCH) in a downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) in a special subframe with a special subframe configuration in time division duplex (TDD) narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT),
• wherein the network node configures the UE with the special subframe configuration,
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, if the modulation is 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM),
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, if the indicated modulation is a modulation with lower modulation order than 16-QAM,
• wherein the NPDSCH is without repetitions.

A user equipment (UE) comprising processing circuitry configured to cause the user equipment to:

• receive, from a network node, an indication of a modulation to be used for a narrowband physical downlink shared channel, NPDSCH, in a downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) in a special subframe with a special subframe configuration in time division duplex (TDD) narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT),
• wherein the UE is configured with the special subframe configuration by the network node,
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8, if the indicated modulation is 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (16-QAM),
• wherein the special subframe configuration is selected from among special subframe configurations 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9, if the indicated modulation is a modulation with lower modulation order than 16-QAM,
• wherein the NPDSCH is without repetitions.