This disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices for using a per-bandwidth virtual sensing network allocation vector (NAV) for sub-band operations. An access point may send an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) frame using at least a subset of an operating bandwidth of the access point, wherein the OBSS frame signals to a receiving device operating in the at least the subset of the operating bandwidth to set a network allocation vector (NAV) of the receiving device to on only in the at least the subset of the operating bandwidth; send an initial control frame (ICF) using the operating bandwidth; identify an initial control response (ICR) received, based on the ICF and based on the OBSS frame having used the at least the subset of the operating bandwidth; send an in-basic service set (in-BSS) transmission; and identify an acknowledgement to the in-BSS transmission.