The Secrets of Satellite Radio

Satellite radio is not as well-known as satellite television, but it has a big following in the world. The range of satellite radio is far greater than that of traditional earthbound signals. As long as there are no buildings or heavy obstructions in the way, satellite radio functions on the line-of-sight principal.

Since a satellite is no low-cost object to own, companies offer channel packages for a monthly subscription rate. Private parties do not use satellite radio due to the excessive cost to access one of these heavenly man-made objects.

Satellite radio is more prevalent in countries like Canada and the U.S. where the population is more spread out and terrestrial radio is not as useful. In more populated areas, traditional radio is far more cost-effective and therefore more commonly used.

At the moment, there are two satellite radio providers in North America, but they have plans to merge, so shortly there will only be one.

Uses of satellite radio

Despite the high cost of running a satellite radio station, the cost of use is relatively low which has made this technology a popular option for hotels and restaurants among other businesses. They use it to provide background music for their clients.

The lack of commercials and the improved reliability of satellite radio have made it a good alternative to regular radio stations. There is also a wide variety of channels to choose from, featuring nearly every type of music you can imagine and it is all available at the touch of a button.

How it works

The powerful signal of satellite radio means that it requires no satellite dish, but rather is able to beam directly to antennas which then broadcast the signal to the surrounding area. In North America, it uses the 2.3 GHz S band and 1.4 GHz L band in other areas. The lower frequency is shared with Digital Audio Broadcasting stations around the world.

Just two or three satellites can provide coverage for the entire world, even taking into account the curvature of the Earth. The reason for this is their extremely high orbit position which affords the satellites a broad view of the Earth and permits them to see each other as well.

Each satellite radio receiver on the ground has an individual Electronic Serial Number to id it. To activate the receiver (once the person has subscribed to the service), a signal is sent to the satellite to tell it to unblock all channels.

In areas where buildings or tunnels might block the reception of the signal, repeaters are used to make the channels available in all areas. Most stations offer one free "testing" channel to make sure the user can receive the radio signals.

Since satellite radio is digital, it can carry a variety of information along with the music in each channel. This information is displayed on a television screen or computer monitor and usually consists of the artist's name as well as song information.

As the technology improves, we can expect to see more of this innovative radio system in all parts of the world.