GCF and MSSA Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Global NTN Certification and Interoperability

SAN RAMON, Calif. & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 24, 2026--

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.

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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.”

“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.”

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.

About the Global Certification Forum (GCF)

Since 1999, the Global Certification Forum (GCF) has been leading the global ecosystem, facilitating standards-based interoperable devices, networks, and services, enabling reliable and secure wireless communications. GCF’s solutions cover 5G NR, LTE, Cellular IoT (NB-IoT and eMTC), Mission Critical Services, NTN access, eSIM, and legacy technologies.

GCF has over 300 members, including device manufacturers, major and smaller commercial operators over Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), communication service providers, Mission Critical Communication Operators and Service providers, and the test industry, working together with key industry partners on certification programmes demanded by the market.

www.globalcertificationforum.org

About the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA):

The Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA) is a non-profit industry association, founded in 2024, that seeks to develop, promote, and advance the emerging ecosystem for advanced Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) services, including direct-to-device, for consumer, commercial, civil, and government applications globally. MSSA supports the efforts of advanced NTN solutions providers, including terrestrial mobile and satellite operators, original equipment manufacturers, infrastructure providers, chip vendors, and others. This includes enabling seamless global mobile connectivity through the integration of terrestrial and satellite (non-terrestrial) networks in a way that facilitates innovation, choice, and competition for these emerging capabilities.

By evolving industry technical standards, promoting open, interoperable architectures and standards, and supporting policies that promote adoption and availability of satellite-enabled services, MSSA is driving initiatives that foster innovation and alignment to accelerate the future of advanced mobile services for the benefit of consumers. For more information, visit our About page, sign up for our Interest List, and follow us on LinkedIn.

https://www.mss-association.org

Lars Nielsen, Director General of the Global Certification Forum (GCF), and Lotfi Benachenhou, MSSA Device Certification & Licensing Working Group Lead and Director, Mobile Device Development & Architecture, Terrestar Solutions, mark the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to advance certification, interoperability, and standards-based Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) technologies. The collaboration supports the development of certification frameworks and interoperable solutions that will help accelerate the adoption of satellite-enabled mobile services worldwide.

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese electric vehicles’ ultrafast charging is only getting faster.

On Wednesday, Geely Auto unveiled technology that can charge an electric vehicle battery from 10% to 70% in just 4.5 minutes, a leap analysts called a significant development for the Chinese auto group.

Geely is joining the ranks of BYD, which last year overtook Tesla as the world's biggest EV maker, as well as CATL, the world’s largest EV battery maker, both of which this year rolled out around 5-minute EV ultrafast charging.

By comparison, some of the fastest-charging EVs available in the U.S. currently can take roughly 20 minutes, analysts said.

“China is way, way, way ahead in terms of multiple players engaged in the charging competition,” said Lei Xing, an independent analyst of China's auto industry based in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Chinese automakers are seeking to eliminate the “ultimate barrier” to EV adoption – range anxiety – by narrowing the gap between EV charging and the roughly five-minute refueling experience of gasoline vehicles, explained Stephen Chan, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings.

At a launch event Wednesday, Geely Auto announced its new system that can charge an EV from 10% to 70% in 4.5 minutes, and 10% to 97% in just 8 minutes and 40 seconds.

BYD in March launched a new generation of its “blade” EV battery that it said can charge an EV from 10% to 70% in 5 minutes, and from 10% to 97% in 9 minutes. In April, CATL rolled out technology that can charge an EV from 10% to 80% in 3 minutes and 44 seconds, and from 10% to 98% in 6 minutes and 27 seconds.

Despite the breakthroughs, experts cautioned there are other obstacles.

“The real challenge is whether the battery can accept that level of current quickly and repeatedly without overheating, excessive degradation or internal bottlenecks,” said Chris Liu, a Shanghai-based senior analyst at Omdia, a technology research and advisory group.

With more than 100 domestic passenger car brands, Chinese auto makers face intense competition. Domestic car sales have fallen for months in China as automakers are exporting more cars overseas. A focus on technological advancements like ultrafast charging is a way to set themselves apart and try to improve sales.

But success will depend on factors including the scale of companies' charging network.

For one, the majority of China’s public charging stations still operate below 1 megawatt, while Geely, BYD and CATL’s ultrafast charging technologies rely on higher charging power to reach their full potential, said Chan at S&P. That means network expansions or grid updates will remain as hurdles for large-scale adoption.

Some in the industry are already taking ambitious steps. China's BYD, for instance, is targeting 20,000 superfast charging stations by the end of this year, followed by 30,000 more in 2027 and 40,000 in 2028, bringing the total to 90,000 stations by that time, according to a Deutsche Bank analysis.

Other countries including the U.S. is still behind China when it comes to ultrafast EV charging.

In the U.S., EV fast-charging sessions typically take roughly 20 to 40 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%, according to S&P, although newer models from brands like Hyundai, Kia and Porsche can reduce charging times to approximately 18 to 20 minutes under optimal conditions.

“Overall, while the battery-charging network in the U.S. is growing at a rapid pace, it is still well behind China’s ultrafast charging speeds by orders of magnitude,” said Neal Ganguli, a partner and managing director in the automotive and industrial practice at consultancy AlixPartners.

But Ganguli also believes the U.S. may not be attempting to match China’s “megawatt race” in EV charging at least in the near future, but to pursue a “more moderate” path to upgrades.

FILE - Electricity can be seen as a demonstration of CATL's Naxtra battery working in -50 celsius environment at the CATL booth during Auto China 2026 in Beijing, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE - A chamber with sub-zero temperatures to showcase the battery charging technologies at the BYD booth during Auto China 2026 in Beijing, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File)

FILE - A BYD electric vehicle charges at a dealership in Camacari, Bahia state, Brazil, Friday, March 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File)

FILE - Visitors look at a Geely Galaxy E8 electric car during the Auto China 2024 in Beijing, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)