Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide for configuring channel access mechanisms in a mmWave shared spectrum mobile communication network. The channel access mechanisms are to be used by a user equipment (UE) and a serving node in the UE's serving cell. The configuring may use a single, cell-specific higher layer parameter or a combination of two cell-specific higher layer parameters. The parameters may configure the UE and the node to perform channel sensing before transmitting to initiate a channel occupancy. Alternatively, the UE and the node may be configured to transmit directly without channel sensing. The parameters may configure a receiver (the UE or the node) to perform channel sensing before transmitting a channel idle indication to the transmitter as part of a channel access procedure to initiate a channel occupancy. Alternatively, the parameters may configure the UE and the node to receive without channel sensing.