Robert Morris students now have access to their favorite shows through Xfinity on Campus, a service available to select colleges throughout the country. Advertised as “your on campus TV-streaming service,” it will be available to all residents. The platform works like any other room and board service and is included within the fees each semester. It can be accessed from any internet-enabled device, whether on or off campus.

Robert Grove, the VP of communications for Comcast’s Keystone Region, gave some insight on why the program has come to RMU.

“We have launched Xfinity On Campus services at many universities in our region, including Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, Pitt and Duquesne, and we have always considered Robert Morris to be a natural partner as well,” Grove said. “We are pleased to bring this service to RMU and are in discussions with many other schools at this time.”

Xfinity on Campus works similarly to how you would enjoy it at home, allowing you to view channels live, view individual episodes of a series through their streaming service or even set up the service to record a live channel for later. Additionally, any apps under the “TV Everywhere” label will also be accessible through the RMU logins.

The service offers “all the essential networks and shows” as well as other premium channels at an additional fee. Any special sports packages or channels such as HBO and Cinemax are locked behind a paywall but don’t require a contract to buy, which is different from the minimum term contracts that these packages typically require. “Students can add premium services like HBO, Showtime and Starz, among others, for $9.99 per month,” Grove explained. “They can do so right from the Xfinity On Campus portal when they sign in.”

The service also advertises that you can download shows to watch while offline. Whether RMU’s internet connection is down or you’re traveling over spring break, you can watch your downloaded shows anytime or any place with the Xfinity app on smart devices. Simply log in with your student ID and password, and you can immediately start watching your favorite shows live. Commuter students, however, do not have access to the service.

The Xfinity on Campus program is a part of Xfinity Communities, which allows businesses or landlords to “attract residents with a better entertainment experience.” The website describing the service explains how the program will “reduce dorm video equipment and maintenance, while providing a premium amenity.” Additionally, it allows students to “upgrade on their own” instead of having a set number of channels.

When asked about future plans at RMU, Grove sounded optimistic about the future of Xfinity and RMU’s relations.

“We will continue to work with the university to explore what is possible,” Grove said. “We have nothing else to announce at this time.”

Xfinity Communities has other services, such as large WiFi networks and premium business features, and implementing them into student’s lives could streamline how we communicate and live on campus. With a larger network behind our lives, the future of life on campus could be right around the corner.