Satellite Radio

When I saw the WorldSpace advertisement around Deepavali, I was shocked and surprised. They had put up an an offer that was irresistable. An offer that every music lover would have only dreamt of. The receiver that was being sold for 5K earlier was offered for just 1.5K. I grabbed the opportunity and purchased one for myself, and I have no regrets. A few sceptics did say that paying Rs.500 every quarter just to listen to a few radio stations was rubbish. Today, I seldom listen to the FTA radio stations (which broadcast a lot of crap, lot of commercials, and very few content rich programmes), though Radio Mirchi is still my favourite FTA channel.

For those who are wondering what Satellite Radio means, here we go:

Conventional Radio stations have their bases fixed on land and transmit signals that can be received only over a certain specified area. Outside the said area, the signal becomes weak and hence cannot be picked up by the receiver.

Satellite Radios use satellites placed in Geo-Stationary orbits for transmission of signals and hence are not constrained by the limitations of area. The satellites are supported by base stations on the earth that amplify the signals so that they can be received anywhere.

A few hard facts about Satellite Radio for the the skeptics:

• Uninterrupted coverage wherever you go
• Near CD quality sound
• Few or no commercials (an advantage provided because Satellite Radios are currently subscription based)
• Wide range of channels (music, news, spiritual etc.)

Note: Satellite Radio is a fairly new concept that is in a fledgling state. The potential is much more than that of cable television when it was launched. For more information about this concept, navigate to Satellite Radio: How Stuff Works.