We read the Spectrum for D2D paper from the GSMA and they have finally written down what many in the mobile world were saying quietly: if satellites want to talk directly to phones, they need to ask permission from the mobile operators who already hold the keys to the spectrum. The new policy paper dresses this up as a rational framework for coexistence, but the underlying message is obvious. D2D is welcome, but only as a polite guest in the house that IMT built.
The paper insists on describing D2D as a supplement, not a substitute. That neat phrase means satellites should handle the gaps, disasters and far-off corners, but never aspire to stand next to terrestrial 5G in cities or suburbs. If you had grand ideas of broadband satellites eating into operator turf, the GSMA would like you to sit down again. Their technical justification is footprint size and limited area throughput. The real reason is turf protection.
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