Hybrid coaxial fiber: what is HFC technology in telecommunications and what is it used for?

Its term in English is "Hybrid Fiber Coaxial" , technique that combines optical fiber and coaxial cable , and its goal is that Internet users communicate by means of data in a "bidirectional" way via the television, Internet or telephony. .

The connection is made via repeaters close to your home, these being connected by nodes and cables intertwined with fiber optics , which allows long distance transmission.

Install it allows you not to spend so much on your investment , unlike other technologies which are much more expensive, it is therefore recommended to minimize costs and thus have good communication between the different devices.

What are hybrid coaxial fiber connections and what are they used for?

The coaxial fiber optic hybrid is composed of a coaxial cable and an optical fiber. It is a terrestrial wired data network, which is used for two-way multi-service telecommunications. With it you can receive and send data, such as IP telephony, Internet and cable TV , it also has a speed and bandwidth of 10 Mbps / 768 Kbp.

Through these networks, data transmission is realized, as the optical fiber helps to achieve remote communication and its interruption in the signal is very weak because data is an electrical signal. Its installation is extremely easy, in addition to its cover making the cable resistant and generating long distance communications through the signal path, making this method reliable and secure.

The HFC provides access to the network by connecting to a router, which is made up of two channels:

• Ascend.
• Down.

The data is transmitted by a "light signal" , and by its path the fiber becomes a "electrical signal" when transmitted over a cable.

What are the main elements of an HFC connection?

Hybrid cables have their own elements which we will present to you below. These are essential to understand how these types of systems work.

Cabecera (government center)

This is the essential part of the whole method, where the signals sent through the network are created. Here are the fundamental servers that make it accessible, having a wide variety of terrestrial reception equipment, as well as microwave and satellite reception .

It also has a connection with different "headers", which are the ones that monitor the network to work properly and correctly, so that users can access it when they need it.

Backbone network (optical fiber)

This is the main part of the network, consisting mainly of the network head and then the nodes. It is made up of fiber optic rings that intertwine primary nodes which feed the secondary nodes, by the union of points or rings.

Therefore, said "nodes" make the signal an electrical signal and it is distributed to each of the places by its coaxial body.

Distribution network (coaxial cable)

This network combines the information coming from the network head, in order to adjust it to send it to the wave of subscribers. Il connects have switching nodes to distribution nodes who attribute communication to each individual. It can have an infinite number of digital storages which are used to offload the communication servers of service providers.

Descent network (flexible coaxial)

This is the last leg of the route that the connection performs to be able to give the downlink signal, which is the one that connects the subscribed devices or the network head . Its properties are used in the form of a tree.

Why choose a hybrid fiber and coaxial cable connection? Pros and cons

Today, technology has constantly evolved, which has led to more communication. Fiber optic and coaxial cables allow you to go beyond expectations of 100 Mbps connections , opening entry to other types of services that may go beyond the Internet.

There are many differences between these two types of connections, especially with regard to the means by which the data is processed . Transmission speed also has its difference, since optical fiber offers many other advantages.

These technologies are important because they offer the possibility of having a good connection with speeds between 100, 200 or 300 Mbps . Its place in the market means that in the future there is symmetrical communication that can reach much more than 1 Gbps.

One of the main advantages that they have is that their speed is always firm, which is why there are very few obstructions , that's why it always manages to deliver the necessary speed. However, you have to take into consideration that one of its downsides is that this is a service that comes at a very high price.

HFC vs FTTH How are they different and which one provides faster internet?

HFC (Hybrid Fiber Coaxial) and FTTH (Fiber To The Home), have marked differences, motivated by the fact that HFC provides nodes 1,5 km from where you want to place it; while FTTH is much wider and provides full fiber distance.

On the other hand, we can differentiate these 2 tools because the HFC is composed of fiber and coaxial cable. Pour it part, le FTTH is made from 100% optical fiber . It should be noted that the HFC does not offer similarity in speed.

Installation

FTTH is installed via a point of distribution of fiber optic cables, where the cables are joined so that they can bring the signal to the desired location. Once the optical connector is installed in a suitable area, the green colored plug is connected to the end of the fiber where the modem or ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is located.

The use of equipment that transforms the optical signal is essential so that le signal to fiber optic be modified into electrical signals that are directed to the modem or router. Well, this device will be the one that will fill all functions of the link, traffic between devices and WiFI . Its installation can be easy, it all depends on how it is made.

HFC is installed by means of an isolator which is placed in a "telecommunications box". The coaxial cable is placed where the modem cable is or the device to which it is to be connected, so you must have a separator to be able to separate the connections in half, as the following picture shows.

In short, these are two different methods, which differ both in their installation and in their connection. The optical fiber is much more complicated to install than the HFC, since in this case, thanks to the “splitters” which facilitate the work.

performance

HFC is a technique that consists of two cables, with the intention of moving them. This means that it is possible that the connection can reach remote sites that are not suitable for service providers. Its performance can be affected because the coaxial cable is powered by electrical signals and is often subject to electromagnetic interference.

In the case of FTTH, such interference is not possible. The reason is that the optical fiber uses a light signal, which on the other hand allows it to reach long distances without losing efficiency. So we have that this latest technology is most suitable when high signal performance is required .

Which one is faster?

It is important to know the network prototype that we have or that we are placing so that there is no type of inconvenience. Indeed, there are intermediaries who offer optical fiber, but we must certify that this is the case .

To connect to the internet, we can use FTTH optical fiber or HFC hybrid optical fiber . Note, again, that the former can reach its cable to where the modem is located; unlike HFC which uses a combination of coaxial cable and fiber optic, but reaches the router in the form of a TV antenna.

There are companies that offer several types of networks, so the speed of the Internet will depend on it, so we must always be aware of the fiber they install for us. This is because the Internet that comes with "FTTH" offers high speed and high quality , which allows us to see web content through about "1000 Mg", which is why this is a great option as its cable goes straight to the modem. .

On the other hand, the “HFC” networks offer a lower flow , in addition to creating inconvenience and communication interruptions. This is why the type of network installed must be taken into account and tested, so every detail must be requested.

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