Practical Considerations for Full Duplex Enabled 5G Integrated Access and Backhaul

With the advent of 5G networks means for backhauling network traffic emerged as a major consideration. Densification via small cell deployment has made wired solution cost prohibitive, leading to the adoption of spectrally efficient wireless solutions, namely, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB). This paper discusses the different options for IAB and focuses on novel solutions for in-band IAB using Full Duplex (FD) enabled nodes. Dynamically reconfigured beam steering antennas are presented as a means of passively suppressing Self-Interference (SI). Experimental results confirm up to 65 dB of SI cancellation in a harsh environment with obstacle. Finally, robust methods for managing FD practical considerations including timing and frequency offsets are presented, with experimental results confirming performance.