Frontier Communications offered praise late Thursday for the ConnectHome plan from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which includes a partnership with Google Fiber.

But Frontier, which provides services in and around Durham, also pointed out its own efforts to expand broadband access, especially in rural and under-served areas, not just “select areas.” The company said “quality high-speed services” are now available to “over 97 percent” of households in its Durham service areas.

“As a company who has been at the forefront of extending broadband to unserved and underserved communities across the country, Frontier has long partnered with federal, state and local government to leverage our resources,” said Dennis Bloss, vice president and general manager for Frontier in North Carolina.

“We applaud HUD’s ConnectHome program for promoting broadband access to more families across America.”

HUD and GoogleFiber announced on Wednesday a plan through which Google Fiber promised free ultra-fast Internet access for public housing units. HUD is not paying GoogleFiber to provide the access, and GoogleFiber said the company’s decision was a voluntary one designed to make broadband more readily available.

ConnectHome is a nation-wide initiative to provide high-speed Internet access to rural and under-served areas.

Frontier is competing with Google Fiber, which is constructing a network in the Triangle, as well as AT&T.

AT&T is expanding its own GigaPower fiber-optic network into Durham.

Bloss stressed that his company is seeking to serve all its “communities” rather than “select areas.”

Last June, Frontier accepted $283 million from the FCC as part of a plan to expand Internet broadband in more rural and under-served areas. Frontier covers much of western North Carolina. Just days ago, the FCC said in a report that much work remains to be done to expand broadband access.

“As a leading providing of broadband, we believe that it is important for providers to offer high-quality affordable services throughout the communities they serve – not just to select areas,” Bloss said.

“Frontier is proud to provide access to quality high speed services to over 97 percent of the households in its Durham footprint.”