The Technology Policy Institute will host a virtual discussion titled “The Direct to Device Era” on Tuesday, February 3 at 11:00 am ET via Zoom as part of its 2026 TPI Winter Spectrum Series.
The FCC’s Supplemental Coverage from Space framework has opened the door to satellite-based mobile coverage, but fundamental questions about spectrum rights and market structure remain unresolved. Do spectrum rights extend “all the way to space”? Should satellite operators be required to partner with terrestrial licensees, or should they be able to sell directly to consumers via eSIM? How do these regulatory choices affect infrastructure investment incentives for both terrestrial and satellite providers? This panel will examine the economic and policy implications of the emerging D2D landscape.
- Roger Entner, Analyst and Founder at Recon Analytics LLC
- Thomas Hazlett, H.H. Macaulay Endowed Chair in Economics, Clemson University
- Jennifer Manner, Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and International Strategy, AST Space Mobile
- Gregory Rosston, Gordon Cain Senior Fellow, Stanford University, Stanford Institute Economic Policy Research (SIEPR)
- Scott Wallsten (moderator), President and Senior Fellow, Technology Policy Institute
