The Global Certification Forum (GCF) and the  Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA) today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize cooperation on supporting and promoting standards-based satellite communications technologies globally. 

The collaboration focuses on 3GPP Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) standards, including direct-to-device (D2D), NTN 5G NR, and NTN NB-IoT services, with a focus on ensuring interoperability and certification for products connecting to non-terrestrial networks. 

GCF and MSSA will work together on areas of mutual interest related to the certification of products and services, supporting a broad range of applications, including personal communication, IoT, mission-critical and automotive devices with access to Non-Terrestrial networks.

Accelerating Certification and Interoperability for NTN Services 

Under the MoU, GCF and MSSA will collaborate to support the development of certification requirements and testing frameworks for 3GPP NTN technologies, such as NTN 5G NR, NTN NB‑IoT, and direct‑to‑device (D2D) services, leveraging the current GCF framework. 

The collaboration will also support the deployment of a scalable NTN certification model, promote interoperability and roaming between terrestrial and non‑terrestrial networks as well as across different NTN constellations, and encourage validation and field testing activities in operational conditions by leveraging MSSA operators’ networks. 

“GCF is proud to join forces with MSSA to drive the market adoption of 3GPP standards-based NTN technologies,”stated Lars Nielsen, GCF Director General. “MSSA’s expertise and leadership in Mobile Satellite Services is crucial as we build certification programs for Non-Terrestrial Networks, ensuring mobile satellite devices deliver uncompromising reliability and interoperability.” 

Supporting the Evolution of NTN Ecosystems 

GCF has been actively working with industry partners, including 3GPP and GSMA, to develop certification programs for devices supporting NTN access, with conformance testing for NTN NB-IoT in GEO satellite systems being active in GCF Certification since 2024, and ongoing work to expand to NGSO (LEO) constellations, and include NTN 5G NR technology. 

MSSA, together with its members and partners, is advancing the broader NTN ecosystem by promoting standards, open architectures, and industry alignment to support the integration of terrestrial and satellite networks. 

By bringing together GCF’s global certification expertise and MSSA’s role in coordinating across the satellite and mobile ecosystem, the two organizations are well-positioned to address evolving industry requirements and support the development and deployment of interoperable, standards-based NTN solutions. This collaboration highlights the value of industry-wide cooperation in enabling scalable, reliable mobile connectivity across integrated terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.

“This collaboration with GCF strengthens a critical foundation for the future of mobile connectivity. Certification and interoperability are essential to turning NTN innovation into real-world solutions,” said Mark Dankberg, Chairman of MSSA. “Together with GCF, we will help drive standards-based, interoperable solutions and support a more unified certification approach that enables scale and brings satellite-enabled services to market with greater confidence.”