TRAI seeks industry input on D2D satellite spectrum usage

Details: John Tanner; Category: Regulation; 10 April 2026; 6308 views

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released an industry consultation paper to explore whether direct-to-device (D2D) satellite services should use existing terrestrial spectrum or mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum.

The consultation paper, released on Wednesday, seeks to establish a framework for authorising D2D satellite services, to include what spectrum they should be assigned. TRAI said it sees D2D satellite as a potentially viable solution for extending mobile coverage to underserved and underserved areas in India’s rural and remote areas.

A key issue is which spectrum such services should use. The global D2D race is currently split into two camps on that score.

LEO satellite operators such as Starlink, Lynk Global and AST Spacemobile use existing terrestrial mobile network spectrum, a key benefit of which is that mobile customers can use their existing mobile handsets to access the network. On the downside, satellite operators have to take extra steps to mitigate interference with terrestrial signals, as well as secure licences for such services.

The Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA) – which was launched by Viasat and partners in February 2024 to establish their own D2D ecosystem – is promoting the use of mobile satellite service (MSS) spectrum for D2D, arguing that such spectrum is already allocated, licenced and regulated under an existing international framework, and presents no interference problems for terrestrial networks.

However, the scope of supported handsets is limited to those that are compliant with 3GPP NTN standards for 5G under Release 17, which supports MSS bands. While only a handful of devices currently support the NTN standard, that number is expected to grow in the next few years.

Along with the issue of device compatibility, TRAI said that it is also taking into account the fact that a number of countries have already launched D2D services using terrestrial spectrum. On the other hand, with D2D spectrum on the table at next year’s World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27) in Shanghai, TRAI said it might wait on the outcome of those discussions before making a final recommendation.

TRAI noted it could conceivably allow both types of D2D services to be used, but each comes with its own set of issues in terms of slotting them in with existing regulations. For example, MSS spectrum in India is used by mobile VSAT service providers, which is a different use case and business model from D2D satellite services.

Meanwhile, D2D services using terrestrial spectrum raises issues on what type of licence D2D operators should obtain and how they obtain it. A long-standing argument in India’s telecoms sector has been whether satellite service providers should be assigned spectrum via the administrative route – in which they would pay a percentage of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) – or via the expensive auction process that terrestrial operators must undergo.

The government’s Telecommunications Act 2023 decided on the former, which remains controversial. However, those regulations distinguish between terrestrial and satellite services, whereas the D2D model of using existing terrestrial spectrum potentially straddles both realms.

The licencing question could also depend on whether the D2D service is offered to users directly from the satellite operator or via a terrestrial mobile partner that already has the necessary spectrum.

TRAI said it will accept comments on the paper until May 6, and counter-comments until May 20.