What is a coaxial cable and how does it work?

A coaxial cable is designed to carry data smoothly and reliably from the network provider to your home, while keeping interference to a minimum. It’s built specifically to protect the signal travelling through it, helping ensure your TV and broadband connection stay stable and consistent no matter what you’re doing.

The term “coaxial” refers to the way the cable is designed. Inside, the central copper wire and the outer metal shielding are aligned along the same axis, with insulating layers separating them. This layered design helps keep the signal contained while blocking any outside electrical interference that could potentially affect performance.

Thanks to this smart structure, coaxial cables can deliver strong, reliable connections even over longer distances. That’s one of the reasons they’ve remained a trusted part of broadband and TV networks for many years, helping power everything from live TV and streaming to gaming and video calls in homes across the UK.

A coaxial cable has four key layers that work together to keep you and your home connected. These include:

• Copper core: The central wire that transmits the signal

• Insulating layer: Surrounds the copper core to keep the signal focused

• Metal shield: Protects against electrical interference

• Outer casing: A tough plastic layer that keeps everything secure

These layers come together to look something like this:

A coaxial cable carries data in the form of electrical signals, making it a key part of your home’s connectivity. Its main purpose is to protect the WiFi signal as it makes its way to your home and its devices, ensuring a smooth and reliable connection.

The copper core carries electrical data signals from the network to your home, and the surrounding insulation and metal shielding prevent potential interference from other electrical devices, thick walls or adverse weather conditions like rain and intense heat.

Whether you’re binge-watching the latest series, streaming a big match, working from home or online gaming with friends, a coaxial cable is working behind the scenes to keep your connection fast, reliable and ready when you are.

We use coaxial cables as part of our hybrid cable broadband infrastructure, helping to deliver a stable internet connection from the network to your home. As fibre technology continues to grow from strength to strength, coaxial cables are used less but remain a reliable part of modern broadband infrastructure.

In some cases, coaxial cables are used as part of the overall network infrastructure. Fibre cables run from the network to the local street cabinet in your area, and then a coaxial cable completes the connection by running from the cabinet to your home.

The combination of these cables allows providers to deliver ultrafast broadband speeds while maintaining a reliable connection. It’s the smart blend of proven technology and modern performance.

It depends on the type of connection that you have at home. If you can get our broadband, you’ll likely be relying on these existing hybrid fibre cables, as they make up the bulk of our infrastructure.

That being said, if you are on a full fibre connection, you may not have a coaxial cable as part of your set up at all. The fibre cables will run directly from your local cabinet to your property instead of a coaxial cable.

The good news is that installation of these cables is handled by your broadband provider (hopefully us!), so you don’t need to worry about anything on the technical side when it comes to getting connected.

Ready for broadband that keeps up with everything you love to watch, stream and play? With our ultrafast network, you can power your whole home with speed and reliability you can count on.

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