Senator Franken has a podcast he started just a few months ago. Recently he spoke with Senator Heidi Heitkamp. She has started an organization called One Country, an effort to help policymakers (especially Democrats) better understand rural areas.

So they spoke about rural areas. Heitkamp started out explaining that rural folks are a lot like urban folks; we all want the same thing. About minute 13 they start talking about the need for rural broadband. They talk about the hindrance for students not having access at home and for the schools unable to assign online homework when not all students can get online.

Heitkamp mentions that, unlike most other states, North Dakota does have good broadband.

They also talk about healthcare in rural area and shortages in providers.