Leveraging Terrestrial Mobile Spectrum for D2D capacity
This article was first published in the GTPRN 2026 Newsletter, February 2026. It provides a fresh perspective on the merits of leveraging terrestrial mobile spectrum for D2D capacity. Terrestrial mobile spectrum could be used to substantially increase D2D capacity precisely where it is needed the most given that in 90% of the globe’s surface there is no shortage of spectrum.
Direct-to-device (D2D) satellite technology offers a significant opportunity to extend mobile connectivity across the entire surface of the Earth by leveraging existing terrestrial mobile spectrum. This paper explores how large portions of globally allocated mobile spectrum remain unused across most of the planet because terrestrial mobile networks cover only around 30% of land areas—equivalent to roughly 10% of the Earth’s total surface.
The analysis argues that D2D low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite systems can complement terrestrial networks by providing connectivity in areas where building mobile infrastructure is economically unviable, such as remote land regions and oceans. Because traffic demand in these areas is typically low, relatively modest spectral efficiency can still support useful services including messaging, voice calls and basic internet access.
The paper also examines regulatory and technical considerations for enabling such use, including potential interference management and the need for coordinated international approaches. By enabling terrestrial mobile spectrum to be used from space — particularly in underutilised bands such as legacy FDD allocations — regulators and operators could unlock global coverage while making far more efficient use of existing spectrum resources.
Other insights
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