HFC cables are a type of transmission that uses both coaxial and optical fiber cables to transfer broadband data streams, including audio, video streaming, and internet telephone calls. They are bi-directional and used by cable TV companies to transmit data to customers.
The internet is many things these days, but no matter how many new features have been invented to the capabilities of the internet, the need is still paramount for cables to connect those internet connected machines and to transmit those signals. As the revolution in the uses of computers, the construction and functionality of computer cables have advanced in recent years. What used to carry only small amounts of data is now tasked with transferring broadband data streams. This is where HFC comes into play.
HFC is the acronym for Hybrid Fiber Coax, a type of transmission carried out on both coaxial and optical fiber cables. Data transmitted over HFC cables are, of course, traditional letters and numbers; but it also includes newer technology data such as audio and video streaming and Internet telephone calls. What used to be just cable television signals sent over coaxial cables have become broadband signals sent over HFC cables. It’s also about email and file transmissions, and with the broadband capacity of HFC, transmissions can be as big as they need to be.
HFC cables are necessarily bi-directional. Unlike single coaxial cables or single fiber optic cables, which are designed to support downstream traffic only, HFC cables are made to handle bi-directional traffic, as a full Internet connection service requires the content provider to validate customer access. In this way, HFC cables are the next generation of data transfer cables.
HFC is usually found in the form of a network, such as a cable TV company, that uses fiber optic cables to transmit data to customers that have coaxial cables at the end. This is known as a trunk and branch system, with the cable company as the trunk and the customers as the branches. In this day and age of conglomeration, many cable TV companies offer much more than traditional television. They broadcast video, audio and Internet services; and for this they use HFC cables. Such networks usually also use cable modems, which are built according to DOCSIS standards.
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