Dynamic Spectrum Allocation in the C-Band: An Overview

The rapid growth of wireless communication demands has led to heightened competition for limited spectrum resources, with traditional allocation methods proving insufficient to meet evolving needs. In response, DSA has emerged as a promising strategy, allowing secondary users to access underutilised portions of the spectrum, particularly in bands primarily allocated for satellite communication, such as the 3.4–4.2 GHz range. DSA offers a flexible solution by enabling the secondary use of the underutilised spectrum while protecting primary users like terrestrial FSS/SS. This paper surveys state-of-the-art DSA techniques and introduces the concept of DSUE to quantify real-time spectrum reuse effectiveness under coexistence constraints. Emphasis is placed on integrating FSS ground station parameters—such as location, antenna orientation, and sensitivity—into intelligent spectrum management frameworks. The review also evaluates ML/AI-driven resource allocation and interference mitigation approaches that enhance coexistence performance. By structuring a DSUE-aware environment, this study provides technical direction for harmonising terrestrial wireless mobile broadband and satellite systems, enabling more efficient, adaptive, and interference-aware spectrum sharing.