A
satellite radio or
subscription
radio (SR) is a
digital radio
signal that is broadcast by a
communications satellite, which
covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio
signals.
Satellite radio offers a meaningful alternative to ground-based
radio services in some countries, notably the United States. Mobile
services, such as
Sirius,
XM, and
Worldspace, allow listeners to roam across an
entire continent, listening to the same audio programming anywhere
they go. Other services, such as
Music
Choice or
Muzak's
satellite-delivered content, require a fixed-location receiver and
a dish antenna. In all cases, the antenna must have a clear view to
the satellites. In areas where tall buildings, bridges, or even
parking garages obscure the signal,
repeaters can be placed to make the
signal available to listeners.
Radio services are usually provided by commercial ventures and are
subscription-based. The various services are proprietary signals,
requiring specialized hardware for
decoding and playback. Providers
usually carry a variety of news, weather, sports, and music
channels, with the music channels generally being
commercial-free.
In areas with a relatively high population density, it is easier
and less expensive to reach the bulk of the population with
terrestrial broadcasts.
Thus in the UK
and some
other countries, the contemporary evolution of radio services is
focused on Digital Audio
Broadcasting (DAB) services or HD
Radio, rather than satellite radio.
Business applications
Satellite radio, particularly in the United States, has become a
major provider of
background music
to businesses such as hotels, retail chains, and restaurants.
Compared to old-line competitors such as
Muzak, satellite radio's significantly lower price,
commercial-free channel variety, and more reliable technology make
it a very attractive option. Both North American satellite radio
providers offer business subscriptions, though given the
merger of XM Satellite Radio with Sirius,
the future of
XM for Business is uncertain.
Sirius's commercial services are provided nationally by third-party
partner
Applied
Media Technologies Corporation .
System design
Satellite radio uses the 2.3 GHz
S band
in North America and generally shares the 1.4 GHz
L band with local
Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB)
stations elsewhere. It is a type of
direct broadcast satellite and is
strong enough that it requires no
satellite dish to receive. Curvature of the
earth limits the reach of the signal, but due
to the high
orbit of the satellites, two or
three are usually sufficient to provide coverage for an entire
continent.
Local
repeaters similar to
broadcast translator boosters enable
signals to be available even if the view of the satellite is
blocked, for example, by
skyscrapers in a
large town. Major
tunnels can also have
repeaters. This method also allows local programming to be
transmitted such as traffic and weather in most major
metropolitan areas, as of March
2004.
Each receiver has an
Electronic
Serial Number (ESN) Radio ID to identify it. When a unit is
activate with a
subscription, an
authorization code is sent in the
digital stream
telling the receiver to allow access to the blocked channels. Most
services have at least one "
free to air"
or "in the clear" (ITC) channel as a
test. For example, Sirius uses channel
184, Sirius Weather & Emergency.
Most (if not all) of the systems in use now are
proprietary, using different
codecs for
audio
data compression, different
modulation techniques, and/or different methods
for
encryption and
conditional access.
Like other radio services, satellite radio also transmits
program-associated data (PAD or
metadata), with the artist and title of
each song or
program and possibly
the name of the channel.
Satellite radio vs. other formats
Satellite radio differs from
AM or
FM radio and
digital television radio (or DTR)
in the following ways. The table applies primarily to the United
States.
| Radio format |
Satellite radio |
AM/FM |
Digital television
radio (DTR) |
| Monthly fees |
US$12.95 and up |
None |
Very low — DTR represents a small portion of the total monthly
television fee. |
| Portability |
Available |
Prominent |
None — a typical set consists of a stereo attached to a
television set-top box (the primary
function of the set top-box is normally designed for cable or
satellite television viewing). |
|
| Listening availability |
Very high — a satellite signal's footprint covers millions of
square kilometres. |
Low to moderate — implementation of FM service requires
moderate to high population densities and is thus not practical in
rural and/or remote locales; AM travels great distances at
night. |
Very high |
| Sound quality |
Varies² |
AM: Usually very low, but can be the highest
FM: Usually Moderate, but can be very high |
Varies² |
| Variety and depth of programming |
Highest |
Variable — highly dependent upon economic/demographic
factors |
Variable - dependent on the satellite television provider and
the various packages they provide and on the user's
subscription. |
| Frequency of programming interruptions (by DJs or
commercial advertising)³ |
None to high - mostly dependent on the channels, some of which
have DJs; most channels are advertisement-free because of the paid
subscription model of satellite radio. |
Highest4 |
None to low - dependent on the provider; however, it is common
that some stations will have DJs. Usually no advertisements
(DirecTV and Dish
Network both claim to provide advertisement-free content). |
| Governmental regulation |
Yes5 |
Yes — significant governmental regulations regarding
content6 |
Low to none 5 |
² The sound quality with both satellite radio providers and DTR
providers varies with each channel. Some channels have near
CD-quality audio, and others use low-bandwidth audio suitable only
for speech. Since only a certain amount of bandwidth is available
within the licenses available, adding more channels means that the
quality on some channels must be reduced. Both the frequency
response and the dynamic range of satellite channels can be
superior to most, but not all AM or FM radio stations, as most AM
and FM stations clip the audio peaks to sound louder; even the
worst channels are still superior to most AM radios, but a very few
AM tuners are equal to or better than the best FM or satellite
broadcasts when tuned to a local station, even if not capable of
stereo. AM does not suffer from multipath distortion or flutter in
a moving vehicle like FM, nor does it become silent as you go
behind a big hill like satellite radio.
³ Some satellite radio services and DTR services act as
in
situ repeaters for local AM/FM stations and thus feature a
high frequency of interruption.
4 Nonprofit stations and public radio networks such as
CBC/Radio-Canada,
NPR,
and
PRI-affiliated
stations and the
BBC are commercial-free.
In the US, all stations are required to have periodic station
identifications and public service announcements.
5 In the United States, the
FCC regulates technical
broadcast spectrum only. Program content is unregulated. However,
the FCC has tried in the past to expand its reach to regulate
content to satellite radio and cable television, and its options
are still open to attempt such in the future. The FCC does issue
licenses to both satellite radio providers (XM and Sirius) and
controls who holds these licenses to broadcast.
6 Degree of content regulation varies by country;
however, the majority of industrialized nations have regulations
regarding obscene and/or objectionable content.
Portable Satellite Radio
Portable satellite radios let you listen to satellite radio just
about anywhere you go. They are very similar to standard portable
music players, designed for music on the go. These however, feature
built-in antennas that receive the satellite signal, and come with
rechargeable batteries. In fact, all you have to do is plug in
headphones, and you can easily listen to and carry them around
easily. Reception can be tricky however, being blocked by buildings
and tall trees, and sometimes by your own body depending you the
way you are facing and how you are carrying it. However, the best
reception will be received outdoors in the open.
United States
In the
United
States
and Canada
, one
holding company, Sirius XM Radio, operates the two satellite
radio services, after a merger (technically the acquisition of XM
by Sirius) in July 2008. A monthly fee is charged for both
services ( , Sirius also offers a one-time fee of nearly $500 valid
for the lifetime of the equipment; however, there is a $70.00 USD
fee for switching receiver, and this may be done only three times
ever). Some XM music channels have
commercial, while Sirius is commercial-free.
Both services have commercial-free music stations, as well as talk
and news stations, some of which include commercials. XM uses
fixed-location
geostationary
satellites in two positions, and Sirius uses three
geosynchronous satellites in
highly elliptical orbits passing
over North and South America, to transmit the digital streams. The
net difference is that the Sirius signal comes from a higher
elevation angle in the northern part of the U.S. and even more so
in Canada. (This higher angle makes Sirius' signal less likely to
drop out on cities, but more likely to drop out in parking garages,
gas stations, tunnels, and other covered spaces.)
Both services are available mainly via portable receivers in
automobiles, but both have many accessories so one can listen at
home through a
home stereo, with a
portable
boombox, or online through a
personal computer. Both services
now have some form of receiver that is completely portable.
Satellite radio's chief asset is the fact that it is not localized:
drivers can receive the same programming anywhere in the footprint
of the service. A stop at any
truck stop
will demonstrate the popularity of XM among long-haul drivers. In
addition, both XM and Sirius carry programming that is simply not
feasible on commercial radio stations. Specialty stations cover
things such as family talk, radio drama, classical music, and live
events.
The
footprint of both Sirius and
XM is only the United States (not including Alaska), Canada, and
the upper third of Mexico; it does not cover Hawaii
as satellite TV does.
Success so far
As of July 29, 2008 Sirius XM claims over 18.5 million
subscribers.
[10467]One critical factor for the success of
satellite radio is the deployment of in-
car receivers. Sirius XM has attempted to
convince
automakers to equip vehicles with
their receiver. As of 2008, the following manufacturers offer
satellite radio as original equipment:
Sirius has an exclusive contract for VW and Audi vehicles from 2007
through 2012 . Those brands previously offered both services. GM,
Honda and Suzuki are all major investors in XM; Sirius is not
offered as options in their vehicles. Bentley and Rolls-Royce come
not only with receivers but lifetime subscriptions for Sirius
service as well. XM is featured in select Harley-Davidson
motorcycle models, while Sirius can be heard in several brands of
recreational vehicles and boats.
One of the challenges for satellite radio has been to move away
from cars and into the homes of consumers. Several portable
satellite radio receivers have been made for this purpose.
XM
satellite radio has developed the XM2go line
of "Walkman-like" portable receivers, such as the Delphi
MyFi, the
Pioneer AirWare and Giant International's Tao.
Polk Audio makes a component-style home
XM Reference Tuner and a tabletop entertainment system, the
I-Sonic, with XM capability. Sirius has developed the
Kenwood Portable Satellite Radio Tuner, Sirius S50,
Here2Anywhere and the Sirius Stiletto 100. The Pioneer Inno and
Samsung Helix for XM were among the first portable receivers to
offer the ability of recording live content for playback later.
Thus allowing for satellite radio to compete more fully with MP3
players.
While key agreements with automobile manufacturers are still being
made, both companies have made the leap away from satellite radio
only in the car and into the homes of consumers. One bump in the
road to becoming more widely used in the home was both Sirius and
XM running into legal issues in early 2006 with the FCC about their
internal FM Transmitters. This required Sirius and XM to pull
several of their models off the shelf and fix the problem. The FCC
was claiming that the emissions of the internal FM Transmitters
were too powerful and needed to be lowered. With these changes any
customer buying a new satellite radio receiver doesn't achieve
nearly the broadcast distance as the old models. Since this is a
key point in the ability to use a satellite radio in the home (i.e.
by taking the signal received and then broadcasting it to multiple
points throughout the home at the same time and avoid having to
bring the satellite radio with them as they move around the home)
it has led many subscribers to use an external Personal
FM transmitter like the
Whole
House FM Transmitter,
C. Crane Company,
Griffin
Technology, etc. to replace the lower powered internal FM
Transmitter. Since these external FM Transmitters are
Part 15 compliant they can broadcast the signal
further than the new internal FM Transmitters now included in the
satellite radios and still be legal. These external FM transmitters
may prevent a slow down in the progress already made into the home
consumer market for Sirius and XM satellite radio.
Satellite radio technology was inducted into the
Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of
Fame in 2002.
Canada
On
November 1, 2004, the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began
hearing applications for Canada's first
satellite radio operations. Three applications were filed: one by
Standard Broadcasting and the
CBC in partnership
with Sirius, one by Canadian
Satellite Radio in partnership with XM, and one at the last
minute by CHUM
Limited
and Astral
Media.
The first two would use the same systems already set up for the
U.S., while CHUM's application was for a subscription radio service
delivered through existing terrestrial
DAB transmitters rather than
directly by satellite (although satellites would be used to deliver
programming to the transmitters). The CHUM service is all-Canadian;
the other two applications propose to offer a mix of
Canadian-produced channels and existing channels from their
American partner services.
A small "
grey market" already exists for
Sirius and
XM receivers in
Canada in which a Canadian would have an American order their
receiver and setup.
On June 16, 2005, the CRTC approved all three services.
In its decision, the CRTC required the following conditions from
the satellite radio licensees:
- A minimum of eight channels must be produced in Canada, and for
each Canadian channel, nine foreign channels can be broadcast.
- At least 85% of the content on the Canadian-produced channels
(whether musical or spoken word) must be Canadian.
- At least 25% of the Canadian channels must be French-language stations.
- At least 25% of the music aired on the Canadian channels must
be new Canadian music.
- At least 25% of the music played on the Canadian channels must
be from up-and-coming Canadian artists.
These conditions were an extension of the existing
Canadian content rules applicable to all
broadcasters in Canada. The applicants had until 13 November 2005,
to notify the CRTC of their decision. Both companies managed to
negotiate the standards a little to their favor, and in return,
they would instead play 50% French content as opposed to 25%. Also,
XM Canada succeeded in getting an extra five channels of
National Hockey League Play-by-Play
onto their platform, without an additional channel creation, by
agreeing to cover every Canadian team's game during the
season.
CHUM appealed the decision, claiming they would not survive if
Sirius and XM both were allowed in the Canadian market, and that
the licence conditions regarding Canadian content imposed on
Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada were too lax. Canadian
Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada countered that CHUM was simply
trying to create a
monopoly in the Canadian
market.
In late August 2005,
Heritage Minister Liza Frulla asked the Federal Cabinet to review
the CRTC decision and possibly send it back to the CRTC for further
review. Lobbyists complained that the CRTC decision did not require
enough Canadian content from the broadcasters. The broadcasters
responded by promising to add additional Canadian and French
content.
After vigorous lobbying from both sides, the federal cabinet
officially accepted the CRTC decision on September 10, 2005.
XM satellite radio was launched in Canada on November 29, 2005.
Sirius followed later on December 1, 2005. Monthly subscription
rates are $12.99 for XM (85 channels) with a one-time activation
fee of $19.99 and $14.99 for Sirius with a one-time activation fee
of $19.99 (100 channels). (All prices are in Canadian dollars.) The
CHUM/Astral service never launched, and its license expired on June
16, 2007.
Europe
Eutelsat W2A satellite
carrying a Solaris Mobile ([10468] an
Eutelsat and SES Astra
joint venture)
DVB-SH S band payload
was launched on 3 April 2009.
WorldSpace Europe (
[10469])
and
ONDAS Media (
[10470]) will use
ETSI SDR for their new
networks covering Europe.
See also
References
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