MSSA expands Reference Architecture to address complex architectural and service challenges in evolving NTN systems

The Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA) has announced an update to its Reference Architecture Version 2.0 addressing two key areas of growing importance for the industry: the transition toward regenerative architectures and the increasing need to deliver a portfolio of services from a single satellite constellation. The updated architecture introduces expanded guidance on regenerative satellite payloads and adds detailed analysis of how non‑terrestrial networks (NTN) can support both 5G New Radio (NR) and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB‑IoT) services within a common satellite infrastructure. It also incorporates broader enhancements, including new recommendations and structural improvements to support interoperability and ease of use.

“As NTN momentum accelerates, operators and enterprises are increasingly demanding greater choice, control, and continuity of user experience across terrestrial and non‑terrestrial networks,” said Serge Legris, MSSA Technical Committee Vice Chair, Reference Architecture Working Group Lead, and Chief Technology Officer at Terrestar Solutions, a member of the MSSA. “Through the MSSA Reference Architecture, we are aligning the industry to enable interoperability across the entire value chain while providing a clear framework to support emerging architectural and service requirements, including regenerative payloads and 5G NR and NB‑IoT.”

Addressing an Evolving NTN Architecture and Service Landscape

As NTN deployments accelerate, both regenerative architectures and the need to support multiple services within a single constellation are becoming central to system design. Regenerative payloads enable on‑orbit processing and greater system efficiency, while the introduction of 5G NR and NB‑IoT services reflects growing demand to deliver diverse service types over shared satellite infrastructure.

However, these advancements introduce fundamental architectural challenges. Regenerative payloads increase onboard processing and power demands, while supporting both NR and NB‑IoT creates competing requirements for bandwidth, coverage, and resource utilization. These differences place added pressure on constrained satellite resources such as power, processing capability, and available beams.

The MSSA Reference Architecture addresses these challenges by providing a framework to evaluate system‑level tradeoffs across both domains. It introduces key considerations such as Radio Unit (RU) sharing to enable multiple radio access technologies within a common payload, while outlining architectural options for regenerative implementation. Together, these recommendations help operators and vendors align system design with service priorities, efficiency goals, and long‑term evolution strategies.

Part of a Broader Reference Architecture Effort

The MSSA Reference Architecture is developed by the MSSA Technical Committee’s Reference Architecture Working Group and provides strategic recommendations to accelerate the development and integration of open and interoperable NTN solutions across the service delivery chain.

It also serves as a common framework to align stakeholders and support integration between terrestrial and non‑terrestrial networks, reflecting MSSA’s broader efforts to promote interoperability, open architecture, and innovation across the NTN ecosystem.

The latest update, Reference Architecture Version 2.0, is now available as part of MSSA’s ongoing technical work.