A sharing of common hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process space by multiple unlicensed spectrum component carriers is described. Because communication access is not guaranteed over the unlicensed spectrum, a set of component carriers in the unlicensed spectrum is assigned to share a common HARQ process space, such that uplink or downlink data will be transmitted over any one or more of the set of component carriers that clear a clear channel assessment (CCA) check. The receiver then provides a HARQ process response over the same HARQ process space using the grouped component carriers that share that common HARQ process space. Thus, any one or more of the set of component carriers sharing the common HARQ process space may both carry the transmitted data and carry the HARQ process response to the attempted data transmission.