Satellite Radio - The Basic Facts
Provided By: CarInsurance.com
When traveling coast to coast or even just statewide it is hard to find radio stations that will not fade to static the longer you drive. This sometimes can happen just when driving across town. Would it not be great if you could find a talk radio station or an alternative rock station that you could listen to without fade out? There is a way to achieve this, it is with satellite radio.
Satellite Radio has been around for over a decade but has just started to catch on with motorists. Before everyday drivers got turned onto the benefits of satellite radio it was the long distance truck drivers that took advantage of the technology. Trucks drivers are stuck in their cab for many, many hours so being able to find music or talk radio that can keep them going on the road has made their job a bit more enjoyable.
Instead of broadcasting from standard radio towers on the ground satellite radio beams their signals from highly advance technology based satellites up in the sky. By beaming the signals down, instead of the conventional tower to tower bouncing, the satellite companies are able to provide crystal clear broadcasts nationwide.This means you could drive from New York to Los Angles and listen to the same music or entertainment radio channel for the whole trip.
In 1992 the FCC allocated a special S band spectrum for the nationwide broadcasting of satellite based radio services. There were four companies that applied and bid on the license to broad cast through this satellite band. Two companies have ended up with the licenses.
The two current satellite radio service providers for the U.S. they are XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio.Both companies provide their customers with high quality sound and over 100 channels of music, talk radio, entertainment or sports. Many channels have commercial free broadcasting, always a plus for when you are driving since on normal radio stations it always seem to miss music and only get the commercials. All this service is why the only way to get satellite radio is to pay for.
XM Satellite radio has Rock and Roll. No this is not describing the genre of music they provide it is the name of their two satellites that are rotating in a geostationary orbit above North America. Sirius Satellite radio differs in that they have chosen to use three satellites, and no fun names, that orbit in an inclined elliptical pattern. Both are smart enough to look to the future and have extra satellites that could be used for back up if the need called for it.
Both Sirius and XM have begun to partner with stereo and car manufacturers so that their product will reach more people. So if you are thinking of purchasing a new car and are interested in receiving satellite radio look into which satellite company you prefer and see if your car maker offers their radio as an option. If they do not than you can buy the satellite radio of your choice and install it in the car after you have purchased it.
Choosing a satellite radio provider is a personal choice so you will need to look into which music stations, sports or talk radio you are more interested in and pick that satellite radio company. The satellite companies are hiring more disc jockeys and paying for more live sports announcing every day so do research for what you would enjoy listening to more before purchasing a plan with either company. If you are purchasing one particular satellite radio for a particular provider for say their NFL make sure that they have that contract for the long term and it is not expiring or you might be disappointed.
The cost for both are comparable with both XM and Sirius monthly cost being $12.95 for your first satellite radio and $6.99 for each addition radio receiver up to four. Both companies also have yearly plans as well. One year costs $142.95 or a two year plan costs $271.95 for both satellite service providers. The difference in pricing is after that point. XM has pricing plans for 3, 4 or 5 years while Sirius after two years jumps to a lifetime plan. Sirius’ lifetime plan costs $499.99 which is $100 less than XM’s 5 year plan.
Those are the basics on how satellite radio started and the current providers. If you are interested in satellite radio do some research before making your purchase. You do not want to end up with a provider that does not broadcast the specific shows you were interested in. Look for future articles on CarInsurance.com about how a satellite radio works and how to set up it up in your car or home.
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