Why not Bristol?

Right now, Google is considering which communities in America will be chosen for its trial high-speed fiber optic broadband network that would offer internet speeds that are blisteringly fast.
Until March 26, cities and towns across the country can request they be chosen as one of the sites where Google rolls out the service. It promises a competitive price in hopes of showcasing what a next generation internet can do.
It should be obvious that wherever this happens will gain an immediate competitive advantage over everywhere else because there are so many businesses that would love to have internet speeds 100 times faster than cable.
Google plans this year to identify one city to give this a shot.
Obviously, most people figure it's going to go to someplace a whole lot more technically sophisticated than Bristol -- maybe a Seattle or Pittsburgh or Madison or Austin.
But if Google truly wants to show what a new internet can do, it will pick a place like Bristol instead, a city that can brag about ESPN but certainly isn't on the cutting edge.
With this, though, it could be.
It's also perhaps a great opportunity for some regional cooperation. A joint bid that included  some nearby towns might be even better, allowing Google to showcase how this would work in a wider range of neighborhoods. Perhaps New Britain, West Hartford, Farmington and Plainville would be interested in jumping on board?
If Google wants to bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots, why not Bristol or the wider area?

Community leaders ought to look into it at least and see what it would take to be in the running.

There's no reason that, for once, Bristol can't be in the lead.

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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com