The satellite and mobile industries have been inching toward convergence for more than a decade, but the advent of direct-to-device services has made that inevitable. Late last month, the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA) took a significant step toward formalizing that converged future with the release of its first non-terrestrial network (NTN) Reference Architecture, a comprehensive document designed to guide satellite operators, mobile network operators (MNOs), device makers and standards bodies toward a unified, interoperable NTN ecosystem.
MSSA is not proposing a single technical template. Instead, it is creating a framework that aligns satellite networks with the same assumptions, interfaces and behaviors used in terrestrial 5G systems.
“This Reference Architecture is a major step forward in shaping a cohesive and interoperable NTN ecosystem,” said Jeff Snyder, MSSA Reference Architecture work group lead and chief technology officer at Omnispace, in making the announcement. “By aligning with 3GPP specifications and addressing real-world use cases, our recommendations aim to guide industry stakeholders toward scalable, secure and high-performance NTN solutions.”
A System-Wide Blueprint for Hybrid Connectivity
One of the core themes of the Reference Architecture is that NTN cannot be treated as an isolated technology domain. Historically, satellite networks have been engineered vertically, with unique waveforms, unique terminals and unique traffic models. Terrestrial mobile networks, by contrast, operate in a globalized, horizontally coordinated ecosystem shaped by standardized interfaces, interoperable devices and decades of roaming frameworks.
The architecture frames NTN not as a standalone service but as a global access layer that complements terrestrial coverage and extends the reach of mobile networks into remote, underserved or infrastructure-limited environments. This system-level framing is essential because performance expectations for mobile connectivity are defined by all smartphone users, not just satellite users. Whether the access point sits on a tower or in low Earth orbit, the device should behave predictably.
Per Synnergren, director of strategic business development at Ericsson and an MSSA delegate, emphasized this point.
“We contributed to the Reference Architecture because we believe it offers valuable guidance for research, development and standardization, supporting the creation of interoperable device-to-device systems.” -Per Synnergren, Ericsson
“In a world where anything that can go wireless will go wireless, we believe non-terrestrial networks are essential for extending coverage via satellites,” Synnergren said. “This approach enables conventional 5G devices to maintain seamless service even when moving into areas not covered by terrestrial networks. We contributed to the Reference Architecture because we believe it offers valuable guidance for research, development and standardization, supporting the creation of interoperable device-to-device systems.”
Addressing the Interoperability Challenge
The document was developed by MSSA’s Technical Committee and reflects months of collaborative work among satellite operators, chipset vendors, terrestrial carriers, and technical experts. Its central focus is solving what may be the most critical challenge facing NTN deployment: interoperability.
Yasrine Ibnyahya, MSSA Technology Committee Chair and vice president of innovation for Viasat, explained the problem the architecture aims to solve.
“The main barrier is the lack of baseline architecture and inconsistent implementations of 3GPP features across the industry. Such an issue prohibits ease of interoperability across systems. The MSSA helps align stakeholders and propose reference implementation guidelines that are concrete and practical for the industry to follow.”
Interoperability in this context means far more than basic compatibility. It includes ensuring that devices can hand off between satellite and terrestrial coverage without user intervention, that roaming frameworks remain consistent across operators and that authentication, billing and security processes follow established mobile patterns. For MNOs considering satellite partnerships, this level of consistency is non-negotiable.
“Establishing common guidelines and specifications across the industry for interoperability will be crucial to achieving mass market adoption for many different advanced connectivity services.” -Yasrine Ibnyahya, Viasat
“As consumers and industrial users roam across devices, space and ground infrastructures, geographies and applications, they will need to be able to move between networks in an efficient way,” Ibnyahya said. “Establishing common guidelines and specifications across the industry for interoperability will be crucial to achieving mass market adoption for many different advanced connectivity services, including for mobile users.”
Key Technical and Commercial Focus Areas
The Reference Architecture addresses the entire service delivery chain, from satellite constellations and ground infrastructure to mobile devices. Key focus areas include technological advancements for enhancing NTN performance and coverage, guidelines for ensuring smooth integration with terrestrial networks, and prioritized use cases such as resource management, network selection, roaming, and network sharing.
The document also provides insights into delivering messaging, voice, data, and IoT services via 3GPP-compliant NTN technologies. Emergency communications and messaging services are highlighted as early opportunities, given their suitability for narrowband satellite links and importance to public-safety organizations. IoT and low-data-rate industrial connectivity also appear as near-term applications.
A key portion of the architecture examines how satellite constellations, ground segments and devices must evolve to support 3GPP-compliant NTN.
A key portion of the architecture examines how satellite constellations, ground segments and devices must evolve to support 3GPP-compliant NTN. Rather than prescribing specific orbital regimes or spectrum bands, it focuses on making diverse satellite systems interoperable with 5G service-based architecture. This includes ensuring proper integration with 5G core networks, consistent mobility and authentication mechanisms, and device-level advances such as improved waveform support and power-efficient uplink paths.
Bridging Standards and Implementation
MSSA positions its architecture as a complement to ongoing work within 3GPP and GSMA. The document is fully aligned with 3GPP Release 17 and acknowledges that future releases will address deeper mobility, waveform and service-layer enhancements.
The document is fully aligned with 3GPP Release 17 and acknowledges that future releases will address deeper mobility, waveform and service-layer enhancements.
“3GPP defines the standards while MSSA recommends NTN implementation approaches in alignment with the ecosystem from satellite operators to MNOs, space and ground network vendors, as well as chip makers,” Ibnyahya said. “3GPP doesn’t specify all aspects of the network, such as satellite specifications or the most suitable network slicing for given use cases. This is where MSSA can help the most in closing the gaps.”
For Viasat, the architecture provides practical guidance for commercial development. “The document provides unifying industry-standard guidelines, helping us define our 3GPP-based NTN architecture and approach as we innovate and forge new commercial partnerships,” Ibnyahya said. “With established frameworks for interoperability, the ecosystem as a whole can ensure seamless interoperability, integration, and reliability for advanced NTN services.”
Measuring Success Through Industry Adoption
The true test of MSSA’s work will be whether the industry embraces these recommendations. “The success of MSSA will be measured by the adoption of these recommendations by the industrial partners,” Ibnyahya said. “We hope to see satellite operators, MNOs, chipset manufacturers and device makers adopt these guidelines and create an ecosystem of interoperable infrastructures and devices.”
The significance of this shift cannot be overstated. A key reason terrestrial mobile systems scale to billions of users is because they rely on standardized interfaces and global certification programs. Bringing satellite into that universe requires adopting those same patterns, even when doing so introduces architectural constraints.
Looking Ahead
MSSA emphasizes that this is only the first version of the Reference Architecture. Future iterations will explore emerging topics including multi-orbit switching, NTN-enabled broadcast and multicast, advanced network slicing frameworks and more sophisticated security architectures tailored to hybrid space-and-ground networks. The association is encouraging broader industry participation, inviting operators, device makers, and standards contributors to join its technical committees.
As MNOs consider satellite partnerships, as regulators analyze coexistence frameworks and as device manufacturers build NTN into mainstream chipsets, the industry will increasingly rely on common assumptions and consistent architectural models.
As MNOs consider satellite partnerships, as regulators analyze coexistence frameworks and as device manufacturers build NTN into mainstream chipsets, the industry will increasingly rely on common assumptions and consistent architectural models. MSSA’s document offers the beginnings of that shared foundation: a path toward a unified NTN ecosystem where satellite networks interoperate smoothly with terrestrial ones and device experiences remain consistent across access types.
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