The expansion of the satellite services market is driven by delivering access to information through connecting the unconnected, aligning infrastructure with population growth, and developing new applications and use cases for both commercial and government needs. As the industry shifts from bandwidth to bits provisioning, surging demand intensifies the pressure to avoid vendor lock, ease of operation, reduce manual operations, and “cost per bit.” Consequently, Satellite Network Operators (SNOs) must innovate to lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and hasten innovation. SNOs cannot continue with traditional methods and expect to accommodate surging bandwidth needs and gear up for a 6G future. The cost-per-bit model requires evolution, and exploring revenue-generating services is essential. To develop next-generation ground infrastructures, WAVE must leverage advancements in Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV).

This reference architecture offers a high-level technological direction to collect feedback and achieve consensus, outline key principles guiding the consortium’s decisions, and the overarching strategy necessary to fulfill its vision and mission. The reference architecture defines WAVE’s effort’s essential components and scope. Following the architecture, a high-level roadmap presents goals for planned releases and associated timelines. The document identifies the recommended scopes for working groups as a starting guidance to accomplish the consortium’s objectives, ensuring a comprehensive approach to meeting its goals.

 

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WAVE Reference Architecture v1.0