Both companies confirmed the purchase last week.

"I think it would be best for our subscribers in Liberty Lake for the sale to take place," said Martin Howser, owner of Community Cable, which has about 1,500 customers in Liberty Lake.

The company wasn't able to keep up with expansions and technology updates needed to stay competitive, "given the magnitude of it," Howser said last week.

Community Cable customers won't immediately see a change in service and rates, Comcast representatives said. The next billing cycle, likely reaching customers' mailboxes this week, will be from Comcast, said Ken Watts, the Spokane general manager.

The company is planning upgrades to the local network, eventually allowing Liberty Lake customers access to Comcast's services, which include on-demand cable, pay-per-view options, high-speed Internet and home phone service.

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Company officials said they hope to have the fiber-optic network upgrade complete by the end of the year.

Both parties declined to release the price of the contract, which took more than a year to negotiate and includes the physical system owned by Community Cable Services.

The Community Cable payment site in the Liberty Lake Albertsons closed last week and no longer will receive payments. For more information, Community Cable Service customers may contact Comcast at 1-800-COMCAST 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Before last week, Comcast had only pockets of customers in the Liberty Lake community. The purchase expands the company's presence in an area highly attractive to Comcast, Watts said.

"We really are excited to come in. It's been a long process; it's been a great area," said Watts, adding that the city's technology industry, growth and location make it a desirable community for expansion.

Community Cable Service, which still will maintain other small networks in the region, came to Liberty Lake in 1969 with only 24 customers and three channels, Howser said. The system at that time was only about a mile or two long and was strung through the trees, he said.

It now stretches 30 or 40 miles underground, Howser said. The last major upgrade was between 2001 and 2003.

"It's been pretty exciting; we've seen a lot happen in that period of time," he said.

Howser praised Comcast, saying the local management was "a pleasure to work with."

"Under the circumstances, it was in the best interests of everybody that it took place," Howser said. "I think they'll do a very good job."