Concord to get free wireless Internet: Pilot project will cover downtown area, then city may become first in East Bay to offer service to all residents.

Byline: Ryan Huff

Mar. 8--In a few months, you'll be able to sprawl out with a laptop on the Todos Santos Plaza lawn and surf the Internet for free. In fact, you'll be able to access wireless Internet just about anywhere in a square-mile of downtown as part of a six-month pilot project that could start as soon as May. Barring any major gaffes with that program, Concord will look to expand next year and become the first city in the East Bay to offer free wireless Internet to all its residents.

All you need to get online is a wireless-enabled computer. The only catch: Your Web browser will feature a 1-inch banner with advertising at the top of the screen. That's the way Mountain View-based MetroFi makes its money so it can build large …