Sprint Said to Be Close to $20 Billion LightSquared Accord

Billionaire Philip Falcone’s LightSquared Inc. is close to a deal to pay Sprint Nextel Corp. as much as $20 billion as part of a network construction and sharing accord, said two people familiar with the talks.

The tentative agreement, spanning 15 years, would allow Falcone to roll out LightSquared more quickly and let the companies share network-building costs, said the people, who declined to be identified because the discussions aren’t public.