Satellite Radio

Satellite radio is a subscription-based digital broadcast service that offers music, talk, news, sports, and entertainment for a monthly fee. It uses satellites circling Earth to transmit audio signals to receivers installed in car stereos or portable boomboxes.

Unlike terrestrial FM and AM broadcasts that have to battle competing local stations for air time, satellite radio services provide uninterrupted programming, often with fewer or no commercials. In addition, most satellite radio providers offer scores of channels covering many musical styles and interests, including classic rock, jazz, country, world beat, alternative, and other genres.

In the early 1990s, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved satellite broadcast radio, which uses the 2.3 GHz S band of the electromagnetic spectrum. It took years for companies to raise the money and build systems to take advantage of this new technology. Two major players emerged in North America, XM and Sirius Satellite Radio, which merged in 2008 to form SiriusXM Radio.

A satellite radio signal is transmitted from a ground-based transmitter to one or more satellites orbiting the Earth that bounce the signal back down to specialized receivers installed in in-dash car stereos and home component receivers. The signal can cover an entire continent, and some stations even use ground-based repeaters to boost coverage in densely built-up urban areas. Car manufacturers have been adding satellite radio options to some models for years, and satellite receiver units are available from a wide range of electronics companies.