XM was launched in 2001. As of January 2003, it has an estimated two million subscribers. Unlike Sirius, XM has been expanding its lineup, and it is also offering additional services to its subscribers. These services include the XM app for iPhone, Android phones, and computers, as well as advanced charts and city-specific traffic information. If you are interested in signing up for XM, you should check out some of the benefits of using the service.
One of the main reasons to consider XM is the fact that it is more affordable than Sirius. You can subscribe to a demo account to try out the service for free. This demo account comes with a virtual balance of 100,000 USD. In addition, you can keep this demo account open after you have signed up for a live account.
During the re-capitalization plan in January 2003, XM exchanged $300 million in old debt for new debt. They then issued convertible bonds to a private investor group. That investor group included General Motors (GM), which has invested $100 million into XM.
GM is a partner in XM, as is Alpine and Pioneer. GM also has a revolving credit facility with XM. XM will give GM access to a certain percentage of its bandwidth. GM can then use this bandwidth to send messages to its vehicles.
Although XM does not have as many sports channels as Sirius, it does have a number of NBA and NHL games each week. Also, there is a dedicated channel for professional truck drivers. There are also talk stations with topics related to the black community, urban issues, and political matters.
XM has a large rock playlist, with about 200,000 songs. Music from artists such as U2, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, and Paul McCartney is also available. Moreover, the company offers a Real Jazz Holiday channel, featuring contemporary jazz stars and classic Christmas tunes.
However, the company has not sold commercial slots for any of its music channels. Rather, they run a small amount of advertisements on the existing ones. But after consumer complaints, XM has stopped running those ads.
XM also provides a service called NavTraffic. Using coded traffic information, XM transmits this information directly to your vehicle navigation system. The company is also known for its "no hidden fees" policy.
XM has more than a dozen ground stations in major cities. These ground transmitters supplement the satellite signal in urban areas. XM has also added city-specific weather information. Moreover, XM offers an application for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, as well as an advanced chart and market insights.