The CATV (Cable Television) Data Network Explained

CATV is a shorthand term for cable television service. The cabling infrastructure that supports cable TV also supports cable internet. Many internet service providers (ISPs) offer customers cable internet service, television, and phone service over the same CATV lines.

CATV Infrastructure

Cable providers operate directly or lease network capacity to support customers. CATV traffic typically runs over fiber optic cables on the provider's end and over coaxial cables on the customer's end.

DOCSIS

Most cable networks support the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS). DOCSIS defines how digital signaling over CATV lines works. The original DOCSIS 1.0 was ratified in 1997 and has been improved gradually over the years:

• DOCSIS 1.1 (1999): Added quality of service (QoS) capability to support Voice over IP (VoIP), a technology that allows voice communications over an internet connection.
• DOCSIS 2.0 (2001): Increased data rates for upstream traffic.
• DOCSIS 3.0 (2006): Increased data rates and added IPv6 support.
• DOCSIS 3.1 (2013+): Greatly increased data rates.
• DOCSIS 3.1 Full Duplex (2016): Initiated ongoing innovation project to enable the full usage of resources for equivalent upstream and downstream speeds while maintaining backward compatibility with earlier DOCSIS versions.

To get the full feature set and maximum performance from cable internet connections, customers must use a modem that supports the same or higher version of DOCSIS than their provider's network supports.

Cable Internet Services

Cable internet customers must install a cable modem (typically, a DOCSIS modem) to connect their broadband routers or other devices to their internet service. Home networks also use cable gateway devices that combine the functionality of the cable modem and broadband router into a single device.

Customers must subscribe to a service plan to receive cable internet. Many providers offer multiple plans ranging from low to high end. These are a few of the key considerations:

• Plans that combine cable internet, cable television, and telephone service into a single contract are called bundled packages. Although the cost of bundled packages exceeds that of internet service alone, some customers save money by keeping their subscriptions with the same provider.
• Some cable internet services limit the amount of data generated during each billing period (normally, monthly), while some offer unlimited data.
• Most providers offer cable modem rentals for an additional fee for customers who prefer not to buy them.

CATV Connectors

To hook a television to cable service, a coaxial cable is attached to the TV. The same type of cable is used to connect a cable modem to cable service. These cables use a standard F style connector, also called a CATV connector. These connectors were used with analog TV setups before cable TV existed.

CATV vs. CAT5

Despite the similar naming, CATV is not related to Category 5 (CAT5) or other types of traditional network cables. CATV also traditionally refers to a different kind of television service than IPTV.