Hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) is broadband internet networking that combines optical fiber and coaxial cable. Cable companies have used HFC since the 1990s as it is an effective way of using limited fiber resources to support high-speed mid and last-mile internet connectivity.
In a HFC system, the ISP sends data from the headend into communities via a fiber optic cable. At the junction with the community’s distribution network, a device called an optical node translates the fiber optic light signal into a radio signal that can be distributed to properties via cable.