Listening to the radio while driving has long been a great way to relax, enjoy your favorite songs and keep up with the news. But terrestrial FM and AM broadcasts have some limitations – static, limited selection and a lot of places where no signal can be received at all. Satellite radio was developed as a solution to these problems and has become one of the most popular car entertainment systems in the country.
In the 1990s, the FCC opened the S band for digital audio radio transmissions. Two companies (Worldspace and Sirius) capitalized on this by offering special satellite receivers for a monthly subscription fee. These receivers can be used in cars, homes and portable devices. XM and Sirius offer a wide range of music channels, news/talk and sports programming. Most of these channels are commercial free, which is a big plus for many listeners.
XM broadcasts its digital satellite programming from two Loral SS/L-1300 satellites in geostationary orbit above the earth and a network of ground-based repeaters. The resulting combination is designed to provide gap-free coverage across the contiguous United States, Alaska, Hawaii and parts of Canada and Mexico.
Initially, XM and Sirius were competing services. However, XM dominated the market and a few years later in 2008, they merged to form SiriusXM. Since then, the company has grown rapidly, helped by an increased penetration rate in new vehicles. Many automakers sign contracts with XM or Sirius, but it is possible to choose your own provider.
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