LightSquared and Trimble Navigation Ltd. announced they plan to collaborate on a “compromise approach” to resolve matters concerning LightSquared’s spectrum, only days after LightSquared and Deere & Company unveiled a detailed agreement (TRDaily, Dec. 8). “Trimble and New LightSquared have agreed to work together with the relevant government agencies to implement a mutually acceptable compromise approach to resolution of the outstanding issues relating to use of New LightSquared’s spectrum,” LightSquared and Trimble said in a statement. “
Pending further discussions with the agencies, the parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality with respect to the details of the proposed compromise approach.” The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York yesterday approved the dismissal of Trimble from a lawsuit that LightSquared had filed in 2013 against Deere, Trimble, and Garmin International, Inc. alleging that the companies concealed the fact that their GPS receivers were manufactured poorly and could not filter out LightSquared signals (TRDaily, Nov. 1, 2013). At the request of LightSquared and Trimble, the court dismissed Trimble from the suit without prejudice, which means the legal action on the same grounds could be refiled.
By contrast, the Deere dismissal was ordered dismissed with prejudice, which is considered a bar to future action on the same issues. When LightSquared announced the Deere agreement last week, it released the 11-page accord. Under the agreement, LightSquared agreed to abandon terrestrial use of the 1545-1555 megahertz band, which is closest to GPS operations. It also agreed to particular power levels and out-of-band-emissions limits to protect GPS operations. Deere agreed not to object to LightSquared’s deployment in the 1526-1536 MHz, 1627.5-1637.5 MHz, 1646.5-1656.5 MHz and 1670-1700 MHz bands. LightSquared also agreed to withdraw several FCC filings, including a 2012 petition for rulemaking concerning GPS receiver standards. Garmin did not respond to a request for comment today about whether it expects to reach an accord with LightSquared. – Paul Kirby, paul.kirby@wolterskluwer.com
Courtesy TRDaily