Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A user equipment (UE) may receive a set of system information blocks (SIBs) common to a set of cells of a non-terrestrial network (NTN), the set of SIBs indicating one or more parameters common to the set of cells for communications with the set of cells. The UE may receive a first SIB associated with a first cell of the set of cells of the NTN, where the first SIB includes cell-specific information indicating a first set of cell-specific parameters for communications with the first cell. The UE may then communicate with the first cell using the first set of cell-specific parameters associated with the cell-specific information of the first cell and at least a first sub-set of parameters of the one or more parameters that are common to the set of cells.