Seems to me like going forward you'll see them pushing new radios to the XM side. The reason for this is 2 fold, I think right now they feel they can get that extra $4.00 per month for the BOS if you subscribe to the XM side. Plus once again my speculation only that they will eventually move the full spectrum to the XM side, but that will be a long time down the road. But if they push everything that way for the next several years, there will be few left on the Sirius side for them to have to convert over later.
I think they will but right now you can buy a new 2010 car with Sirius OEM radios. I would suspect that one would have to give about 10 years to let the hardware die to minimize the impact of dropping one spectrum. Also, XM radios are currently limited to 255 channels and probably bandwith restrictions. You would need to offer radios that overcome this.
I am not saying this can't or shouldn't be done ... but it requires forethought and planning both lacking from Sirius XM IMHO.
And since you asked (well, you didn't but I know you are just dying to know!) the correct approach would be:
1. Stop producing Sirius OEM radios. This takes 3 years from my understanding so in 2013 ... XM only OEM radios.
2. Offer the most popular Sirius radios with XM chipsets ... a Stilletto 3 for example except with XM rather than Sirius.
3. Stop producing new Sirius hardware. Only hardware replacements.
4. Allow transfers of lifetime subscribers from Sirius to XM (allow for $75 fee etc.).
5. Allow XM radios to be family planned off of Sirius accounts (but not visa versa).
6. Allow for easy transfers from Sirius to XM (without the transfer fee for example).
7. At some point 5 years from now, disallow new Sirius subscribers, period.
8. 10 years after 1 has taken effect .... turn off Sirius. At this point they would likely have to have a hardware exchange or credit program. The smaller this subscriber base is at this point, the better.
DAB,
What would be the reason for moving all the spectrum to the XM side? The idea does not appeal to me at all. Or I guess, what do you mean by the full spectrum? We may have different interpretations of that.
Until now I have been reasonably neutral on the XM-Sirius merger. Now I am feeling some bad vibes.
Dana
In 10 years, you would have one radio with 2ce as many channels or better quality or both. I don't think its anything to get scared about. They are not going to piss off 10 million subs for the heck of it. But in 6 years ... you may have to get an XM radio as a replacement for your broken Sirius radio.