下一代服务覆盖网络（NGSON）标准描述了基于互联网协议（IP）的服务覆盖网络的框架，并规定了上下文感知[例如，所需的服务质量（QoS）水平；服务类型，例如实时与数据；数据流的性质，例如I帧与B帧；以及终端类型，例如电视监视器与个人数字助理]动态自适应（例如，使用本地派生的信息来发现、组织和维护局域网内网络中的流量）和自组织- 组织网络能力（例如，根据客户需求和现有网络结构的能力开发网络结构），包括独立于底层网络的高级路由和转发方案。NGSON体系结构提供高级服务和传输相关功能，以支持上下文感知、动态自适应和自组织网络。本标准规定了NGSON的功能架构。功能体系结构由一组功能实体（FEs）、它们的功能、参考点和信息流组成，以说明FEs和外部组件之间的服务交互和媒体交付。 NGSON可以与不同的底层网络（如IP多媒体子系统（IMS）、下一代网络（NGN）、对等（P2P）覆盖或网络）一起运行，以在其用户和服务之间传输NGSON信令消息和/或媒体。基础网络的规格不在本标准的范围内。

This Next Generation Service Overlay Network (NGSON) standard describes a framework of Internet Protocol (IP)-based service overlay networks and specifies context-aware [e.g., such as required quality of service (QoS) level; type of service such as real time versus data; nature of data stream such as I-frame versus B-frame; and type of terminal such as TV monitor versus personal digital assistant], dynamically adaptive (e.g., using locally derived information to discover, organize, and maintain traffic flows in the network within a local area network), and self-organizing networking capabilities (e.g., developing network structures based on the needs of the customers and the capabilities of existing network structures), including advanced routing and forwarding schemes, that are independent of underlying networks. The NGSON architecture provides advanced service and transport-related functions to support contextaware, dynamically adaptive, and self-organizing networks. This standard specifies a functional architecture for NGSON. The functional architecture consists of a set of functional entities (FEs), their functions, reference points, and information flows to illustrate service interaction and media delivery among FEs and external components. NGSON may operate with different underlying networks such as IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), next generation network (NGN), peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay, or Web to transmit NGSON signaling messages and/or media among its users and services. Specifications of underlying networks are outside scope of this standard.