Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide methods and apparatus for employing relaying devices, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) user equipment (UE) relays, having a licensed wireless or wired backhaul link and an unlicensed access link. One method generally includes receiving, at a first device, data from a first apparatus via a first carrier frequency in a licensed spectrum, wherein the first device comprises a relaying device, and relaying the data to a second apparatus via a second carrier frequency in an unlicensed spectrum. In this manner, wireless communication systems with relaying devices may achieve better spectral efficiency in unlicensed access links.