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Democrat Russ Feingold called Thursday for the federal government to treat broadband internet service as a public utility as part of his Badger Innovation Plan.

Feingold, who is running against U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Oshkosh, for the Senate seat Feingold lost to Johnson in 2010, touted his plan to expand high-speed internet access to rural areas during a visit with the La Crosse Tribune’s editorial board.

“Up to a million people (in Wisconsin) do not have adequate internet,” Feingold said, which limits not only individuals’ ability to connect to digital infrastructure but also businesses’ ability to compete globally.

Feingold told a story of students in rural areas who aren’t able to get internet access at home and so drive to town to do homework.

“They park outside the library or the high school or the local college, and there are a couple different cars there and they’re not up to no good — they’re just trying to get wi-fi,” Feingold said. “You can’t really compete as a business or a student without internet.”