What is satellite radio ?

A satellite radio is a digital radio signal that is broadcast by a communication satellite, which covers a much wider geographical range than terrestrial radio signals.

Satellite radio space is all set to sizzle in the country. With the government giving finishing touches to its policy guidelines on satellite radio, the space is bound to attract more players (and of course listeners).

satellite radio uses 2.3 GHz S band frequencies. Since the broadcast is digital, reception is free from disturbances, it is noise-free and offers clear sound. Presently, key satellite digital radio systems in the world are WorldSpace (covers Africa, southern Europe, Middle East and Asia), XM Radio, Sirius Radio (US and parts of Canada), and MBCo (Japan and Korea).

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.

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.

All a user needs to do in order to access satellite radio services is purchase a satellite radio device either stationary or portable. On purchase of the service, the satellite radio device is programmed into a database that allows to receive specific radio transmissions from specific satellites.

The service is available through a monthly or annual subscription plan. As the service doesn't run any commercial advertisements, its revenue generation is entirely based on subscription. The cost of a satellite radio device varies between Rs 2000 to Rs 4000 and a year's subscription roughly amounts to Rs 2000.