Comcast is launching a service in Houston that offers — for a fee - to fix any malfunctioning computer or gadget that connects to the cable company's network. Its Xfinity Signature Support service, announced in early March and now being rolled out here, is offered as a subscription and through individual fix-it sessions. Technicians will tackle all kinds of devices - PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets, online game consoles and Internet-connected TVs. By doing so, it's jumping into a huge business.

Dallas-based Parks Associates, a market research firm specializing in consumer electronics trends, says Americans spent $2 billion on home tech support last year. By 2015, that number is expected to jump to $5 billion. Comcast is not alone. AT&T has a similar service called ConnecTech, and Best Buy's Geek Squad is considered the premier source of paid consumer tech support. But Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, said Comcast has a real opportunity because it is already in its customers' homes.

"With its large footprint and marketing resources, it can really grab a significant share of the market," Scherf said.

From the article, "Comcast leaps into tech support"

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