Satellite Radio
great music all the time

Satellite radio is an idea over a decade in the making. In 1992, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated a spectrum in the "S" band (2.3 GHz) for nationwide broadcasting of satellite-based Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS).

Only four companies applied for a license to broadcast over that band. The FCC gave licenses to two of these companies in 1997. CD Radio (now Sirius Satellite Radio ) and American Mobile Radio (now XM Satellite Radio ) paid more than $80 million each to use space in the S-band for digital satellite transmission.

At this time, there are three space-based radio broadcasters:

* Sirius Satellite Radio
* XM Satellite Radio
* WorldSpace

Satellite radio companies are comparing the significance of their service to the impact that cable TV had on television 30 years ago. Listeners won't be able to pick up local stations using satellite radio services, but they will have access to hundreds of stations offering a variety of music genres.

Taking a closer look, you will see slight variances in the two most popular satellite radio companies. In the next sections, I will profile each of the companies offering satellite radio services.

Click Here to find reviews of Sirius and XM satellite radio.