Participants in the NTN and 5G panel agreed that preparations and discussions around D2D have accelerated over the past 12 months, less than a year and a half ahead of the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27). Elizabeth Sosa Hernández, chair of the Working Group on Satellite and Scientific Services at the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (Comisión Interamericana de Telecomunicaciones, CITEL), said the discussion is no longer technological, but one of strategic complementarity.
“Heading into WRC-27, the debate will already be well advanced, with testing and regulation far along. The reality is that D2D is being commercialized, regulated and implemented before the conference,” Sosa Hernández said.
From Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Agencia Nacional de Telecomunicaciones, Anatel), Tarcísio Aurélio Bakaus, coordinator of the International Strategy Process for Spectrum Management, Orbit and Broadcasting, said there is convergence in changes at the level of standards, market and regulation: “Satellite is no longer seen as separate infrastructure, but as a complementary layer for resilience, IoT and connectivity.”
He also recalled Brazil’s more than 20 contributions to Agenda Item 1.13 of WRC-27. This agenda item consists of “considering studies on possible new allocations to the mobile-satellite service for direct connectivity between space stations and user equipment for International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT), to complement terrestrial IMT network coverage, in accordance with Resolution 253 (WRC-23).” On this point, Bakaus emphasized: “It requires studies on protection of stations and users.”
Panel moderator Natalia Vicente, Vice President of Public Affairs at the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA), noted that since the transition from Release 17 to Release 18, there has been a major shift in the relevance of satellite. Maximiliano Martinhão, Senior Director of Government Affairs at Qualcomm, agreed on the role of standardization in this context: “This reduces costs across the value chain. Satellite will cease to be an isolated network and become a natural extension of the mobile network.”
In line with the rest of the panel, Carlos Riopedre, General Director of Sateliot, said standardization work “breaks down taboos among terrestrial operators regarding integration with satellites. Mobile network operators (MNOs) have entered directly into the game, and the fact that a single device can connect to both terrestrial and satellite networks reduces costs.”