Garmin Says It Has Five-Year Window for Ensuring GPS Compatibility With Ligado LTE

Garmin expects to work for the next five years on developing and implementing design and component part modifications needed to ensure its products work with Ligado's proposed LTE network, the GPS company said in a filing Wednesday in FCC docket 12-340. Garmin said its settlement agreement with Ligado (formerly LightSquared) (see 1512180020) includes a five-year transition period for Ligado's handset power limits so Garmin engineers "could work to accommodate Ligado's proposed network and ... address concerns over interference with GPS." Much of the work will involve circuit design, printed circuit board layout and testing, Garmin said. It said Ligado should similarly work "with others in the navigation industry to establish realistic timetables since those companies will face their own unique challenges in making changes."