Sirius radio, or more generally satellite radio, came out
just a few years ago. If you’ve never listened to satellite radio or
heard about it, this article is your lucky break. In this article
you’ll find out what satellite radio is and how it works.

What Is Satellite Radio?

Just like the name indicates, satellite radio uses satellites
and related equipment to broadcast radio channels to car or home
radios. The concept really received its impetus in 1992 when the FCC
set aside a chunk of radio frequency for what they called Digital Audio
Radio Service (DARS). Five years later, Sirius Radio and XM Satellite
Radio purchased licenses from the FCC, and both companies started
putting the pieces into place to be able to start broadcasting.

Conventional radio waves can only travel 35 to 45 miles before
they die out. The signal for satellite radio services is broadcast more
than 20,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. Programming on satellite
radio is subscriber based, meaning you pay a monthly fee to descramble
the signal from the satellites. But, most satellite radio service comes
commercial free, so you don’t have to worry about channel hopping.
Channels include music, talk radio, sporting events, kids programs, and
news.

The Who’s Who of Satellite Radio

There are currently three major players in the satellite radio
game: Sirius radio, XM satellite radio, and WorldSpace. Sirius radio
covers North America, including the continental U.S., Canada, and
Alaska. XM provides service in the continental U.S. WorldSpace is
developing coverage in other parts of the world (Asia, Africa, Europe,
and South America) and are definitely the most ambitious in terms of
client coverage (a potential of 4.6 billion clients covered on 5
different continents). Each company uses different satellite technology
and methods to provide service in their respective areas.

Satellite radio equipment, such as car receivers and home
stereos, are sold at a variety of consumer electronic stores, and are
starting to become standard installations in new cars. Conventional
radios cannot receive satellite radio transmissions, so picking up the
service usually entails purchasing a receiver, though some kits are
available to make conventional radios satellite-radio compatible.

Because of the different technology each company utilizes,
receivers are not compatible with every company. For example, if you
subscribed to XM but then wanted to switch to Sirius radio, you would
need to get a new receiver that was compatible with Sirius. Some
satellite television companies include satellite radio service in their
channel packages, and you can receive the transmission through your
television satellite dish.

How Does Satellite Radio Work?

This is the cool part. The music, talk show, sporting event,
etc., are recorded digitally in a studio, after which the message is
encoded. The encoded signal is sent to the satellites from ground
stations (Sirius radio based in New York; XM based out of D.C.). The
satellites then relay the signal to receivers in your car or at home.
The receivers contain chipsets that decode the signal and play it
through you stereo. In urban areas where taller buildings might block
the signal from the satellites, ground repeaters or transmitters are
used to resend the signal, eliminating pockets of dead space.

XM uses two satellites to cover the continental United States
with their signal. Sirius radio uses three satellites to form a
satellite constellation. The way they are set in orbit ensures that
each satellite spends about 16 hours at a time covering the U.S. and
that there is always at least one satellite over the U.S. at any given
time. WorldSpace satellites beam three signals each to increase the
amount of territory they are able to cover with their three satellites.
All three companies have reserve satellites ready to launch in case one
of their satellites stops working.

Satellite radio technology looks like it’s here to stay. It is
ideal for those that live in areas where normal radio reception is
poor, or for those willing to pay a little each month to not have to
listen to commercials. Chances are good that soon every new car you buy
will have satellite radio installed, and that more and more homes will
be equipped for it. I have only covered the basics. It is definitely
worth your time to find out more about what each company has to
offer.