Digital satellite systems usually make use of a very small dish which can be installed anywhere on the consumer’s property with a line-of-sight to an orbiting satellite. As of 2005, Sirius receivers are available for various new Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, and DaimlerChrysler vehicles, and the service plans on adding availability for portable use. Canadian channels available on Sirius Canada will include the CBC’s English and French radio networks (CBC Radio One, CBC Radio Two, La Première Chaîne, Espace musique) and new channels built from the CBC’s web services CBC Radio Three and Bandeapart.

Digital satellite systems are largely unregulated, allowing them a much freer hand in deciding what content they will carry. Sirius’ spacecraft Sirius 1 through Sirius 4 were manufactured by Space Systems/Loral. When the XM Satellite Radio service was launched in late 2001, many analysts had forecast that it was the beginning of the end for traditional radio.

On September 13, 2005, XM Radio announced a multi-year deal to carry National Hockey League broadcasts beginning with the 2005-06 season, initially sharing the coverage with Sirius but gaining satellite-radio exclusivity from 2007 onward. In order for an XM Ready radio to receive XM programming, you will need a XM Ready radio, a tuner box and an antenna. XM Satellite Radio provides digital programming directly from three satellites in geostationary orbit above the equator.

XM Satellite Radio is revolutionizing radio by offering exciting and unprecedented coast-to-coast programming. At its launch in 2001, satellite radio was targeted only towards motorists. Satellite radio is an idea over a decade in the making.

So far, WorldSpace has been the leader in the satellite radio industry, but the USA is not currently part of WorldSpace's coverage area. If you plan on listening to satellite radio exclusively in your car, consider going with a dedicated car satellite radio tuner. In the third-world, it is not uncommon for purchasers of digital satellite systems to act as gateway cable companies in areas where cable is not available. The music channels on satellite radio represent a significantly wider variety of genres than you'll ever hear on conventional radio.