• Version 2.0 adds guidance on how regenerative payloads divide network functions between satellites and ground infrastructure
  • The architecture also covers 5G NR and NB-IoT on common satellite infrastructure, including radio-unit sharing between different radio technologies

The fact

The Mobile Satellite Services Association released Version 2.0 of its reference architecture for non-terrestrial networks on 2 September. MSSA develops technical guidance intended to support interoperability between satellite and terrestrial mobile networks.

The update adds guidance for regenerative satellite payloads, where more network processing can take place onboard the spacecraft. It also examines how the same satellite infrastructure can support both 5G New Radio and NB-IoT, including approaches to sharing radio units between different radio-access technologies.

The document gives satellite operators, mobile operators and equipment vendors a common reference for evaluating those design choices. It is technical guidance rather than a binding standard or an operational deployment.

The assessment

Version 2.0 is mainly about removing uncertainty earlier in network design. Before operators commit to payloads, ground equipment or mobile-core integration, they need to agree on what runs on the satellite, what stays on the ground and how 5G NR and NB-IoT will share the same infrastructure. Getting those decisions aligned early makes it easier for different suppliers to design against the same assumptions.

That still does not guarantee interoperability. Each operator will make its own choices on processing, radio resources and equipment, and those systems will still need to be tested together before they can be used in service. For BTW readers, MSSA's contribution is to move some of that coordination ahead of procurement and deployment. The next useful evidence will be a multi-vendor NTN project showing whether the common architecture actually reduces project-specific integration work.

What to watch

Watch for satellite operators and equipment vendors to reference Version 2.0 in new NTN projects. Trials using regenerative payloads, shared radio units or both 5G NR and NB-IoT would provide stronger evidence of adoption. Multi-vendor deployments would be the clearest test of whether the architecture improves interoperability in practice.