5G • 5G-Advanced (Rel-18)
NCR Uplink Noise Muting
Dynamic Uplink Transceiver Muting to Protect gNB Sensitivity
Turns off repeater uplink amplification whenever no local UEs are transmitting, preventing thermal noise from degrading base station receiver sensitivity.
Technical Explanation
Conventional repeaters continuously amplify background thermal noise and inject it back toward the base station, blinding the macrocell receiver. In Rel-18, the gNodeB informs the NCR via SCI exactly which uplink slots contain active user transmissions; during empty slots, the NCR mutes its uplink amplifiers, keeping the macro receiver floor pristine.
Key Functions
- Mutes repeater uplink power amplifiers during slots where no local users are scheduled
- Prevents background thermal noise accumulation from desensitizing the serving gNodeB
- Maintains high receiver sensitivity on macrocell towers hosting multiple repeaters
- Reduces idle electrical power draw of the outdoor repeater unit
Specifications
3GPP TR 38.867 (Rel-18)
Interfaces
Uu (SCI Muting Command)
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