A method for providing contention-based transmission from a first communication node in a network to a second communication node, the method comprising: determining, by the first communication node, a transmission direction, the transmission direction characterized by a digital beamforming direction and an analog beamsteering direction; performing, by the first communication node, spatial-specific carrier sensing in accordance with a sensing direction associated with the transmission direction; determining, by the first communication node, a channel status of a channel along the sensing direction according to the spatial-specific carrier sensing; and transmitting, by the first communication node, a signal along the transmission direction when the channel is not busy; wherein the performing spatial-specific carrier sensing in accordance with the sensing direction comprises: generating, by the first communication node, a spatial-specific processing pattern in accordance with the sensing direction; receiving, by the first communication node, a waveform signal from one or more third nodes in accordance with the spatial-specific receiving pattern; and generating, by the first communication node, a decision variable for determining the channel status of the channel along the sensing direction according to the waveform signal and the spatial-specific processing pattern; wherein the channel status of the channel along the sensing direction is determined by comparing the decision variable against a decision threshold, wherein the channel is considered idle along the transmission direction when the decision variable is smaller than the decision threshold; wherein the decision threshold is determined based on at least one of the factors of a transmission power of the transmission, a frequency band for the transmission, and the transmission direction, wherein the spatial-specific processing pattern is a receiver combining vector/matrix associated with a precoding vector/matrix of the transmission direction applied in the digital domain. determining, by the first communication node, a transmission direction, the transmission direction characterized by a digital beamforming direction and an analog beamsteering direction; performing, by the first communication node, spatial-specific carrier sensing in accordance with a sensing direction associated with the transmission direction; determining, by the first communication node, a channel status of a channel along the sensing direction according to the spatial-specific carrier sensing; and transmitting, by the first communication node, a signal along the transmission direction when the channel is not busy; wherein the performing spatial-specific carrier sensing in accordance with the sensing direction comprises: generating, by the first communication node, a spatial-specific processing pattern in accordance with the sensing direction; receiving, by the first communication node, a waveform signal from one or more third nodes in accordance with the spatial-specific receiving pattern; and generating, by the first communication node, a decision variable for determining the channel status of the channel along the sensing direction according to the waveform signal and the spatial-specific processing pattern; wherein the channel status of the channel along the sensing direction is determined by comparing the decision variable against a decision threshold, wherein the channel is considered idle along the transmission direction when the decision variable is smaller than the decision threshold; wherein the decision threshold is determined based on at least one of the factors of a transmission power of the transmission, a frequency band for the transmission, and the transmission direction, wherein the spatial-specific processing pattern is a receiver combining vector/matrix associated with a precoding vector/matrix of the transmission direction applied in the digital domain. generating, by the first communication node, a spatial-specific processing pattern in accordance with the sensing direction; receiving, by the first communication node, a waveform signal from one or more third nodes in accordance with the spatial-specific receiving pattern; and generating, by the first communication node, a decision variable for determining the channel status of the channel along the sensing direction according to the waveform signal and the spatial-specific processing pattern;