Technology for performing device-to-device (D2D) communications is disclosed. A user equipment (UE) can identify D2D data to be transmitted from the UE. The D2D data can be identified when the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle. The UE can be limited to using a defined resource allocation mode to transmit the D2D data from the UE. A service request procedure can be initiated at the UE. The service request procedure can trigger the UE to perform an RRC connection establishment procedure with an evolved node B (eNB) to switch the UE from the RRC idle mode to an RRC connected mode. The UE can receive an uplink (UL) grant from the eNB for communicating the D2D data from the UE. The UE can send the D2D data using the UL grant provided by the eNB.