Henderson makes final cut for DirecTV center

Monday, June 25, 2001 | 11:16 a.m.

A nationwide search for the best city for a Hughes Electronics division to launch a DirecTV satellite operation is down to two: Henderson and Phoenix, said the project's top official.

Mike Cook, general manager of Hughes Network Systems, said both cities meet the physical requirements for its Spaceway program, which needs a dry climate, clear view of the southern sky and access to fiber optic cables.

The Spaceway program is expected to offer ultra-high speed broadband Internet services at low cost to consumers and businesses using satellite dishes, Cook said.

Cook declined to say if one of the two cities is favored.

"We're in the final stages of deciding (on a city), and we have an internal review board that would decide," Cook said at a Friday luncheon in Las Vegas.

The company will likely have a decision by September, and construction should begin by January, he said.

Hughes said Spaceway is a $1.4 billion project, which includes three spacecrafts, infrastructure and development. However, Cook decline to say how much of the investment would be spent in Henderson or Phoenix.

Cook said the Spaceway operational center will need about 18 acres and will employ between 70 to 100 technicians.

The center would include satellite dishes on an elevated floor, an operating room with massive video screens and technicians manning the operation around the clock.