Because of the shielding, coaxial cables avoid leaking signals. For this reason, TV broadcasts are transmitted on coaxial cables. Because there are no load coils or bridge taps, high speed data transmissions can be supported. Thus, cable TV has much more bandwidth than phone lines. These higher frequencies allow data transmissions at still much higher speeds.
Fiber optics are much cheaper than copper per circuit but somewhat more expensive per unit length.
Thus, while most of the network uses fiber, the local loops to residences is usually copper. Most fiber is either single-mode or multimode fiber. Single mode fiber, which has a narrower core transmission medium, is faster, because the fact that only one ray or mode can travel through the fiber makes signal regeneration simpler. However, the increased traffic on a strand increases its vulnerability to disruptions. The advantages of wireless communications include user mobility and the lack of a complex wired infrastructure.