Hybrid fibre-coaxial
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Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) is a telecommunications industry term for a network which incorporates both optical fiber along with coaxial cable to create a broadband network. It has been commonly employed by cable TV operators since the 1990s.
The coaxial portion of the network connects 100-2000 homes (500 is typical) in a tree-and-branch configuration. Radio frequency amplifiers are used at intervals to overcome cable attenuation and splitting losses.
An optical node converts optical signals to electrical and vice versa. It is a "dumb" device in that it does not demodulate or otherwise interpret the signals. Fiber optic cables connect the optical node to a distant head end or hub.
By using frequency division multiplexing, an HFC network may carry a variety of signal types, including analog TV, digital TV, telephone, and data.
Similar to HFC, "Fiber In The Loop" technology is used by telephone local exchange carriers to provide advanced services to telephone customers over the POTS local loop but is not synonymous with Hybrid Fibre Coaxial.
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