Viasat, Inc., Terrestar Solutions, Ligado Networks, Omnispace, and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PJSC (Yahsat) jointly announced the establishment of the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA). This non-profit industry association aims to bring considerable scale and choice to advance the emerging Direct-to-Device (D2D) ecosystem.

MSSA intends to develop a global ecosystem using over 100 MHz of L- and S-band spectrum allocated and licensed for mobile satellite services (MSS), suitable for integration into various mobile devices. The association plans to align with 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards to extend terrestrial mobile coverage for both Mobile Network Operator (MNO) and Over-the-Top (OTT) internet services.

Advantages of MSS licensed spectrum include immediate provision of Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) services, an existing international regulatory framework, no interference with terrestrial networks, and additional spectrum for advancing 5G New Radio (5G-NR) services. MSS spectrum enables all MNOs to offer space/terrestrial integration in their entire service area without sacrificing terrestrial spectrum.

MSSA, with support from founding members and other ecosystem partners, aims to integrate terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) to provide scalable, sustainable, and affordable connectivity to any device globally. The association will foster a D2D ecosystem involving solutions providers such as terrestrial mobile and satellite operators, OEMs, infrastructure, chip vendors, and others.

Mark Dankberg, Chairman of MSSA and Chairman/CEO of Viasat, highlighted the transformative opportunity of integrating satellite connectivity into consumer mobile devices. MSSA focuses on unlocking interoperable architectures and standards for multi-orbit satellite systems, achieving global roaming between terrestrial and multi-orbit satellite networks, coordinating mechanisms among MSS operators, maximizing the utility of available global MSS spectrum, and advocating for rational and sustainable uses of spectrum and orbits.

For more details on MSSA’s formation and mission, visit the Association’s website: www.mss-association.org.