Hear CD quality sound radio thru' WorldSpace

Hear CD quality sound radio thru' WorldSpace

By Gatot Tio

JAKARTA (JP): Do you know that we can now enjoy digital
broadcasts from around the world via a receiver?

This is what we call the digital broadcasting system supplied
by WorldSpace (WS), and the tuners consist of AM, FM and
satellite bands.

You can tune in to radio stations that broadcast via WS in
satellite band. Programming is available in a multitude of
languages including German, Hindi, Spanish, English, French,
Arabic, Italian, Pakistani, Swahili, Tamil, Telugu, Tagalo,
Malay, and others.

Until now, up to 40 broadcast channels per beam are available
on the WS system. The receiver is the consumer's gateway to the
WS system.

This receiver is designed and built for WS by Panasonic,
Hitachi, Sanyo, JVC and Polytron. Behind the receiver is the WS
system itself -- a platform from which international, regional
and local programmers can reach vast audiences.

A wide range of features are made available in these
receivers.

Panasonic's receiver, for example, comes in a built-in
vertical design and stacks two pairs of two-way speakers to
deliver a near-CD quality output.

With a large display area, it offers 10 channel presets and
gives users three 12-character lines of information.

Its others features are:
* battery powered (4 D-cell batteries) with AC adapter
* built-in stereo: two-way, four-speaker system (2.1 Watt output)
* stereo headphone socket; stereo line out connectors
* built-in easy-to-aim antenna
* decryption and narrowcast capability
* program selection by language and category
* 10 presets and last station memory
* three-line, eight-character LC display to show station,
category and other information
* port for multimedia services

Concept

WS's working concept is much the same as the digital sound
broadcasting system's concept.

The aim of WS is to send Direct Satellite Broadcasting System
(DBS) signals without using a transmitter to the receiver, which
was impossible with the old satellite communications system.

The system routes a signal from a ground control station
through a small satellite dish. The antenna transmits the signal
to the geostationary satellite devoted to the reception area,
which then sends the signal directly to portable digital sound
broadcasting receivers in the area.

There was a need for an antenna to receive signals in the old
system, but with WS we will not need antennas. With WS, mobile
satellite communication is possible and some broadcasters will be
able to uplink to the WS satellites directly from their studios
using small earth stations.

Two potential elements of WS technology are satellites and
earth stations.

In each case, WS has thoughtfully built flexibility into the
system to make it as simple as possible for the end-user.

WS has now launched three satellites into orbit. These
satellites will provide unsurpassed broadcast coverage in Africa,
the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean Basin, Latin America,
and the Caribbean.

It is the sole provider of wireless satellite digital audio
and multimedia to areas whose populations comprise 80 percent of
humanity.

Each satellite is controlled from independent Regional
Operations Control Centers (ROCC). Each center is linked to
redundant Telemetry, Command and Range (TCR) stations to control
and monitor the health of each satellite. Each ROCC includes a
Mission Control Center (MCC), which facilitates the turnup of new
customers.

WS satellites are "geostationary", orbiting over the globe in
fixed positions more than 35,000 kilometers above the equator.

Using spot beams, each of which can support more than 50
services per beam, the satellites transmit to three overlapping
coverage areas approximately 14 million km sq each.

Crystal clear, fade-free news, music, education and
entertainment programs are available to more than two billion
people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia through the WS
AfriStar and AsiaStar satellites.