[Satellite Today – 4-10-08] WorldSpace Satellite Radio has received regulatory approval to offer services in Germany, the company said April 9. WorldSpace now hopes to launch services in Germany in 2009, after it has initially launched its satellite radio service offering in Italy.
    WorldSpace subsidiary WorldSpace Europe has received approval from Germany’s Federal Network Agency, the Bundesnetzagentur, to use 12.5 MHz of spectrum in the L-band (1479.5 – 1492 MHz) on a nationwide basis for the operation of a terrestrial repeater network in Germany. The repeaters will work in conjunction with WorldSpace’s existing satellite network to provide German consumers with a subscription-based satellite radio service in automobiles.
    Germany could be a particularly attractive market for satellite radio services in Europe. According to WorldSpace, Germany has the largest automobile market in Western Europe, with an average of 3.4 million cars sold every year throughout the past 16 years. Annual commercial vehicle sales exceed 200,000 units. In addition, it is the most populous nation in Western Europe with more than 82 million people.
Noah Samara, WorldSpace’s CEO said the approval from the Bundesnetzagentur was “a significant development” for the company. “The German market is a critical market for us. Not only is Germany the largest country in Western Europe with the largest economy, it is home to a number of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers who are very familiar with satellite radio, having already integrated satellite receivers into their vehicle lines for the American market. We are working to extend that experience to their home base.”