Satellite Radio

Satellite radio is a broadcasting-satellite service that broadcasts signals over much wider areas than terrestrial radio stations. Satellite radio service is principally meant for motor vehicle occupants. Satellite radio service is available by subscription and offers music, sports, news, and talk stations. In North America, satellite radio uses the 2.3 GHz S-band for national digital radio broadcasting. In Japan, MobaHO! operates at 2.6 GHz. On other continents, satellite radio uses the 1.4 GHz L-band.

In the 1990s, WorldSpace, Sirius Satellite Radio, and XM Satellite Radio were all founded in the United States as the three major satellite radio companies. Sirius and XM operate in the North American satellite radio market, while WorldSpace operates in Africa and Asia. In 1999, the first satellite radio broadcasts occurred in the Middle East and Africa. The first U.S. satellite radio broadcasts were in 2001, while Japan and Canada had their first broadcasts in 2004 and 2005, respectively. In 2008, Sirius and XM merged to form Sirius XM Satellite Radio. 90 percent of WorldSpace’s subscriber base is in India.

Satellites positioned 22,236 miles above the equator receive signals from ground stations and transmit the signals down to receivers. Ground repeaters allow listeners to hear the same stations across countries like the United States. Automobiles can have built-in or portable satellite radio receivers. Satellite radio stations can also be accessed via the Internet, or portable receivers in the home or office. Sirius XM radio had over 24 million subscribers in March 2013.

• Wikipedia: Satellite Radio
• Wikipedia: XM Satellite Radio
• Wikipedia: Sirius XM