At the same time, several media giants have also jumped into the fray. XM Satellite Radio Inc. For reasons such as those, financial analysts plan to watch carefully as Sirius, and later, XM Radio, roll out their services. While broadcasters, media companies and automakers form alliances, however, much of the technical work behind the satellite has proceeded quietly. More than a dozen manufacturers, including Delphi Delco, Visteon, Alpine, Panasonic, Audiovox, Clarion, Kenwood, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Electric and others are building receivers for use in the OEM and aftermarket. At the same time, electronic component manufacturers such as Lucent Technologies and STMicroelectronics are developing chip sets for the receivers.
Engineers say that the technical challenges behind such systems are tremendous.
You've got new technology from end to end. The satellites, broadcast studios, and chip sets are all new. Prime among the technical challenges is the development of receivers and antennae that can receive and unscramble a signal while mounted aboard a moving target. People trying to reach a satellite television signal are stationary. Here, you're trying to get 2.3 Gigahertz into a moving vehicle and turn it into a usable signal.