Santa Rosa plans to expand its wireless Internet service in the downtown core to include several new areas, such as Railroad Square, major parks and the Bennett Valley Golf Course.

The project, to be rolled out in stages, is less ambitious than networks being built in San Francisco and other major cities that offer free access citywide.

But it will take a service that long has been available in coffee shops and expand it into many parts of the city and its daily activities.

By the end of next year, golfers waiting to tee off at Bennett Valley will be able to check their e-mail, shop the Web for a new putter or watch instructional golf videos on YouTube.com if they bring along their laptop computer or smartphone that has a wireless modem.

The city intends to make its wireless Internet network free to anyone, although details still are being worked out, said Eric McHenry, Santa Rosa's chief technology officer.

The rollout started earlier this year when the city began providing free wireless Internet access in a 10-block area of downtown under a partnership with local Internet supplier Sonic.net.

"It's nice. I don't need to go into a cafe. I can go to a park lawn and work," said Jennifer Harris, a SSU student who was using her laptop to work on a class paper Tuesday at Peet's Coffee & Tea downtown.

By the end of the year, the city plans to expand the service into Railroad Square. Access will be available along a two-block span of Fourth Street running west from Highway 101 to the Santa Rosa Convention & Visitors Bureau, and covering a three-block wide swath.

The third phase, expected to be completed by the end of 2007, will bring wireless Internet service to most city government buildings and some city parks, including Finley Park, Howarth Park, Southwest Community Park and the golf course.

Internet access at parks, such as Howarth, will be at the most heavily trafficked areas, such as near the petting zoo and tennis courts, McHenry said. Smaller parks, such as Finley, likely will have access everywhere.

"When we are talking about wireless connectivity we are talking about access outside, but we are also talking about access inside too," McHenry said. "Finley Community Center, for instance, will have access inside."

The city launched its wireless networking service - Wi-Fi for short - as a one-year test, but both Sonic.net and the city expect to continue offering the free service after its trial period ends in early 2007.

"We want to provide more services to our residents and visitors," McHenry said.

The city expects to spend about $25,000 next year to expand its Wi-Fi service, McHenry said. It will look to partner with Sonic.net or another communications company to provide the hardware and service, he said.

San Francisco, San Jose, Napa and other cities have moved forward with plans to offer wireless connectivity to residents. In Mountain View, for example, Google offers free access across the city.

In Sonoma County, Sonic.net is moving forward to provide fee-based Internet access in both downtown Petaluma and Sebastopol, said Dane Jasper, chief executive officer of the company. Costs will likely be about $3.50 a day, he said. But residents who subscribe to the company's DSL service at home will be able to access any of its Wi-Fi hot spots for free.

Healdsburg offers free Internet access in its downtown. And Windsor offers free access at its Town Green.

Windsor's free hot spot was established two years ago and has been a big success, Town Manager Matt Mullan said.

"It gets used a lot, and we've had people tell us how great it is," Mullan said.

Windsor has no plans to expand its access area, primarily because there is no budget for it, he said.

Spending on public wireless networks for U.S. cities and counties will increase nearly ten-fold during the next four years, jumping from an estimated $235 million this year to nearly $2 billion in 2009, according to Muniwireless.com, which tracks municipal wireless deployments.

Public wireless networks will most commonly be used for public safety, building inspection and public works, according to the report.

Santa Rosa does not plan to provide access to all residents but might expand its coverage citywide for use by its employees, such as firefighters and home inspectors, during the next few years, McHenry said. City employees would have access to crucial information, such as housing layouts, and would be able to update permits remotely.

The city is testing wireless equipment downtown that is on loan from AT&T and Cisco Systems. The test equipment, if purchased, would allow the city to begin building a citywide network.

Santa Rosa also plans to provide Wi-Fi coverage in its administrative offices by the end of 2007, allowing construction contractors, architects and others who work with the city to have access to additional information - and better explain proposed developments to city planners.

And the city might expand its free public Wi-Fi into other public areas, McHenry said.

"It is our intent to continue the free deployment model in the public gathering places," he said.