Satellite radio broadcast services
SDARS satellite radio broadcasts of music or video to mobile receivers have largely been a North American phenomenon since the 1990s. Increased need for terrestrial repeaters arose as geostationary SDARS satellites took over from geosynchronous orbits. A key appeal of S-band SDARS is the ability to cover vast areas with a few satellites and coin-sized receiver antennas. The SDARS signal is easily blocked by buildings or terrain, necessitating the use of terrestrial repeaters in urban areas to ensure reliable reception. The SiriusXM 360L receivers seamlessly integrate satellite, terrestrial, and streaming content.
SDARS never took off on other continents, which instead focused on vast terrestrial radio networks such as DAB+ and DRM. DRM is increasingly adopted throughout Africa and Asia, while DAB+ is more popular in Europe. This free DRM broadcast schedule database helps listeners find DRM broadcasts worldwide. It is of note that parts of Europe are trending towards retaining VHF FM broadcast radio (besides DAB+), with multiple nations adding mandates for FM tuners in new cars. North America terrestrial radio networks may use HD Radio for improved audio quality and additional data services. 5G broadcast is being tested by multiple countries as a way to deliver broadcast content to mobile devices instead of individual mobile data streams.
Home satellite TV
In contrast to satellite radio broadcast services, Direct Broadcast Service (DBS) / Direct To Home (DTH) satellite TV has been a global phenomenon with the emergence of sub-60 centimeter dish antennas using 12 GHz Ku-band frequencies by DirectTV and Dish Network emerging in the mid-1990s and analogous services on other continents.