The Karnataka government has decided to set up five satellite cities around Bangalore to decongest India's silicon hub and attract investments in the knowledge sector in the IT-savvy state.

Inaugurating the eighth edition of the four-day Bangalore IT.in 2006 at the Palace grounds Friday, state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said the phenomenal growth over the last two decades had made Bangalore congested, with its civic amenities and other infrastructure facilities straining.

"Hence, the state government has decided to decongest the city by setting up five sector specific cities around Bangalore, with integrated townships consisting of commercial, residential, shopping, entertainment and schooling sub-sectors.

The satellite cities will not only reduce pressure on commuting in Bangalore, but also obviate travel to and from the city. One township will be earmarked for the knowledge sector exclusively. As Mysore is also emerging as an IT hub, the knowledge city will come up at Bidadi between Bangalore and Mysore, covering an area of about 9000 acres," Kumaraswamy said.

The chief minister also announced an ambitious plan to make Bangalore unwired with WiMax connectivity and retain its global brand as the favourite destination in the country for investments in the knowledge sector.

"We are implementing the 'Bangalore Unwired' project to make this tech city the first in India to have a seamless wireless broadband connectivity any time, any place and accessible to all at affordable costs.

The wireless access will be based on the latest WiMax (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) technology, covering a range of about 40 km radius," Kumaraswamy told about 1000 delegates who have gathered for the premier IT event.

As a facilitator, the state government will enable the private service providers to roll out the connectivity. A dedicated group, under the chairmanship of S. Sadagopan, director of the Indian Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-B), will supervise the project.

The chief minister hoped the WiMax connectivity would also encourage the citizens to work from home and avoid commuting hassles. Such a wireless facility will not only save time, but also improve work efficiency and quality.

"As we are conscious of the difficulties faced by Bangaloreans in commuting daily, working from home using WiMax connectivity will become a better option. I believe better delivery of public services, efficient traffic management integrated with web-based technology will go a long way in improving the situation," Kumaraswamy pointed out.

Reiterating his commitment to make tier-II cities across the state equally attractive for IT investments, Kumaraswamy said the state government and the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) had created the required infrastructure in Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli-Dharward on priority.

"Various development works are in progress to create similar infrastructure in other tier-II cities, which have the potential workforce required to undertake high-end and low-end tech jobs," Kumaraswamy asserted.

To ensure Karnataka remained at the forefront of research, design and development of latest technologies, the chief minister said the availability of rich human resources and skill sets would make the state a global destination in nanotechnology, micro-electronics, chip design and development, semi-conductor and Intellectual Property (IP) creation.

The Indian IT sector growth is led by Karnataka, with Bangalore in the forefront as a global brand.