Interoperable Satellite Radios

The satellite radio world is divided among the two major broadcasters, XM

Radio and Sirius. Since they work on different frequencies and need specific
equipment to broadcast, Sirius and XM Radio have divided the market into two
groups. While some are fans of the Sirius channels others prefer XM Radio, and
the debate regarding which of the two is the best could go on forever. Some
however are subscribers to both services, since they love some of the Sirius
programs but also enjoy XM Radio broadcasting. For them and for more people
interested in satellite radio, there are some potential good news. Interoperable
satellite radios are one of the things most of the major players in the
satellite radio industry are talking about. What are they? Basically they are
receivers that can work both with Sirius and XM Radio and everything is enclosed
in a single unit.



Interoperable Technologies – when Sirius and XM work together



Interoperable Technologies is the name of a joint effort funded by both Sirius
and XM Radio, with the declared purpose of bringing dual-subscription satellite
radios to the general market. Founded in 2003, Interoperable Technologies has
started developing the dual-mode satellite radios ever since and progress is
being made with each passing month. Interoperable Technologies gets help from
consultants from both XM and Sirius and their 2005 success of developing a singe
unit that can receive both transmissions was a notable one. Today, Interoperable
Technologies ha a deadline of bringing the developed receiver unit to the
market. The monthly subscription price is estimated to be around $26 – for which
you get over 300 channels from the combined broadcasting list of the two
satellite radio operators.



What the people say…



The news of the interoperable satellite radio development has triggered
interesting responses among XM and Sirius satellite radio subscribers. Here are
some of the things people left on forums and discussion boards regarding this
development:



“$26/month? A hell of a lot cheaper than cable TV.” Says one of the forum
posters. He is right, but, of course, many will question the need to pay $26 for
over 300 radio channels out of which 80% will probably never get listened to.

“Oh man! As a dual subscriber, this would be SO cool to have. Where do I sign
up?” – on the other hand, of course, there are those people that don’t mind
spending a little extra when they can get so much more.

“Cool idea if it ever comes to pass. Even though I only subscribe to Sirius,
I would consider buying this with an eye on the future...” – for people such as
this forum poster, the interoperable satellite radio system is the natural
evolutionary step forward, so it is definitely worth looking into.

Implications of the interoperable satellite radio system

As you can see from the response of the potential customers, the interoperable
satellite radio system is an interesting development. While Sirius and XM are
lucky enough to be the only major players in this field, for now, it seems they
are also ready to work together in order to consolidate their future. Of course,
offering twice the programs on a single unit is a major step forward, and from
the early stages it seems that the target audience is ready to receive the
single receiver unit with applause. On the other hand, is this an initial
enthusiastic response or is it genuine interest? Won’t 300+ channels become too
much and won’t people start to feel like they are paying for something they are
rarely using? There will also be some interesting things to follow as far as
exclusivity rights go, because each of the two broadcasters have their own
original approaches to common things. Another interesting aspect to follow will
be how the sales for individual Sirius and XM units will go after the dual
receiver hits the market. For many, the combined efforts of Sirius and XM tend
to look like a first step towards a large scale joint venture that will lead to
an absolute monopoly of the satellite radio market.