An apparatus (1000; 1300) comprising: a processor circuit (1020; 1320) for a first user equipment UE (122; 124; 132; 134; 136; 142; 144; 152; 154; 156; 162 or 164) capable of operating in compliance with one or more 3 rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution, LTE, standards including LTE-Advanced LTE-A; an access component (1022-1; 1322-4) for execution by the processor circuit to receive (1102; 1402) system information that indicates a device-to-device, D2D, region that is defined using a set of type 2 frame structure subframes corresponding to uplink subframes of a first LTE-A compliant uplink-downlink configuration; a synchronization component (1022-2; 1322-2) for execution by the processor circuit to receive (1104; 1404) a synchronization signal from a synchronization source to obtain time and frequency synchronization for use of the D2D region to communicate with a second UE (122; 124; 132; 134; 136; 142; 144; 152; 154; 156; 162 or 164); anda communication component (1022-5; 1322-5) for execution by the processor circuit to communicate (1106; 1406) data between the first UE and the second UE based on use of the D2D region, characterized in that the uplink subframes of the first LTE-A compliant uplink-downlink configuration correspond to a second uplink-downlink configuration from among uplink-downlink configurations as defined by LTE-A for time-division duplex, TDD, for D2D communications between the first and second UEs wherein the first UE is arranged to either: send D2D communications to the second UE during subframes allocated as proximity downlink, P-DL, or proximity special, P-S, subframes and to receive D2D communications from the second UE allocated as proximity uplink, P-UL or P-S subframes; or receive D2D communications from the second UE during subframes allocated as proximity downlink, P-DL, or proximity special, P-S, subframes and to send D2D communications to the second UE allocated as proximity uplink, P-UL or P-S subframes. a processor circuit (1020; 1320) for a first user equipment UE (122; 124; 132; 134; 136; 142; 144; 152; 154; 156; 162 or 164) capable of operating in compliance with one or more 3 rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP, Long Term Evolution, LTE, standards including LTE-Advanced LTE-A; an access component (1022-1; 1322-4) for execution by the processor circuit to receive (1102; 1402) system information that indicates a device-to-device, D2D, region that is defined using a set of type 2 frame structure subframes corresponding to uplink subframes of a first LTE-A compliant uplink-downlink configuration; a synchronization component (1022-2; 1322-2) for execution by the processor circuit to receive (1104; 1404) a synchronization signal from a synchronization source to obtain time and frequency synchronization for use of the D2D region to communicate with a second UE (122; 124; 132; 134; 136; 142; 144; 152; 154; 156; 162 or 164); anda communication component (1022-5; 1322-5) for execution by the processor circuit to communicate (1106; 1406) data between the first UE and the second UE based on use of the D2D region, characterized in that the uplink subframes of the first LTE-A compliant uplink-downlink configuration correspond to a second uplink-downlink configuration from among uplink-downlink configurations as defined by LTE-A for time-division duplex, TDD, for D2D communications between the first and second UEs wherein the first UE is arranged to either: send D2D communications to the second UE during subframes allocated as proximity downlink, P-DL, or proximity special, P-S, subframes and to receive D2D communications from the second UE allocated as proximity uplink, P-UL or P-S subframes; or receive D2D communications from the second UE during subframes allocated as proximity downlink, P-DL, or proximity special, P-S, subframes and to send D2D communications to the second UE allocated as proximity uplink, P-UL or P-S subframes. send D2D communications to the second UE during subframes allocated as proximity downlink, P-DL, or proximity special, P-S, subframes and to receive D2D communications from the second UE allocated as proximity uplink, P-UL or P-S subframes; or receive D2D communications from the second UE during subframes allocated as proximity downlink, P-DL, or proximity special, P-S, subframes and to send D2D communications to the second UE allocated as proximity uplink, P-UL or P-S subframes.