LightSquared, Trimble Moving Toward Settlement Talks

LightSquared may be moving toward settling with at least one GPS company it's suing, as well as ending its spectrum fight before the FCC. In a letter dated Wednesday to U.S. District Court Judge Richard Berman in New York, LightSquared through its legal counsel said it and Trimble want court assistance "in advancing settlement negotiations" on resolution of technical issues of LightSquared's spectrum use. The two ask the court to postpone discovery for 45 days while they "discuss ways to bring full closure to the disputes that prompted this lawsuit and their disagreements before the FCC," the letter said. Those discussions will include talks about receiver susceptibility to interference, spectrum use, network architecture and business concerns. LightSquared sued GPS companies Deere, Garmin and Trimble, the U.S. GPS Industry Council and Coalition to Save Our GPS in 2013, claiming their failure to disclose potential interference problems between GPS and LightSquared's spectrum use ultimately helped lead to LightSquared's bankruptcy (see 1311040060). LightSquared separately is funding a study on how terrestrial broadband and GPS might co-exist (see 1506250008). Deere and Garmin have said "they are willing to engage in settlement discussions," the letter said. LightSquared declined further comment.