When it comes to the connections on a TV, coax often gets short shrift these days, and understandably. It’s been around forever, and usually it’s only HDMI, USB, or even optical that you actively have to fiddle with. You do have to be concerned about the best HDMI ports to use for new consoles and media streamers — coax, though, can often be plugged in once and forgotten, if you ever use it at all. Many people flip on their TV solely for streaming or gaming.
Coax remains relevant in 2026, however, so it’s good to be familiar. In this guide I’ll explain not just the basics, but its pros and cons in the modern landscape, and why you might want to take advantage of it even if you’d normally turn to Netflix or your PS5 for fun. Spoiler alert — you don’t need a subscription for this one.
What is coax, and what’s it good for?
The foundations of TV and home internet
As you might know, coax is short for coaxial, and the gist is that all coax cables are based around an inner conductor surrounded by a conducting shield. It’s actually a remarkably old technology — the first coax cables were deployed in 1858 for transatlantic cables. Modern cables tend to rely on copper-based inner conductors, whether it’s bare copper, or simply steel wire with copper plating. There are many types of coax cable in use, although the one you’re most likely to see is RG-6, since that’s what’s used inside homes.
Within that arena, there are three main uses. The first, of course, is cable TV. You could in theory connect coax directly from a wall outlet to your TV, but this isn’t a great idea in 2026. Cable boxes are needed not just for tuning, but to decode encrypted signals, and provide functions like program guides, recording, and access to on-demand content. They’re essentially media streamers on steroids. If you try to plug a coax cable straight into your TV, you might get local, unencrypted broadcast channels, but that’s about it. Don’t expect to watch Adult Swim or CNN without your cable provider’s hardware.
Quiz
Coax cables and RF signals
Trivia challenge
From living rooms to radio towers — how much do you really know about coaxial cables?
HistoryHardwareStandardsSignalsConnectors
What does the term ‘coaxial’ refer to in the design of a coaxial cable?
That’s right! ‘Coaxial’ literally means sharing the same axis. The inner conductor runs down the center, and the outer braided or foil shield surrounds it concentrically, which is key to the cable’s ability to carry high-frequency signals with minimal interference.
Not quite. ‘Coaxial’ refers to the shared axis between the inner conductor and the outer shield. This concentric design is what gives coax cables their excellent shielding properties and makes them so effective for RF signal transmission.
Who is generally credited with patenting the first coaxial cable design, back in 1880?
Correct! Oliver Heaviside, the brilliant and eccentric British mathematician and engineer, patented the coaxial cable design in 1880. He is also known for reformulating Maxwell’s equations and his foundational work in transmission line theory.
Actually, the credit goes to Oliver Heaviside, who patented the coaxial cable design in 1880. Though less famous than Tesla or Marconi, Heaviside made enormous contributions to electrical engineering and transmission line theory that still underpin modern communications.
What does the designation ‘RG’ stand for in common coax cable names like RG-6 and RG-59?
Spot on! RG stands for ‘Radio Guide,’ a U.S. military designation system developed during World War II. Though the military specification system has largely been retired, the RG naming convention stuck and is still widely used in the consumer and professional cable industry today.
The correct answer is ‘Radio Guide.’ The RG designation originated from a U.S. military specification system during World War II. Despite the official specs being retired, the naming convention lives on and you’ll still see it on cables sold in hardware and electronics stores everywhere.
RG-6 and RG-59 are both common coaxial cables used in home installations. What is the primary advantage of RG-6 over RG-59?
Correct! RG-6 features improved shielding and significantly lower attenuation (signal loss) at higher frequencies compared to RG-59. This makes it the preferred choice for modern cable TV, satellite, and over-the-air antenna installations where high-frequency performance really matters.
The key advantage of RG-6 is its better shielding and lower signal loss at higher frequencies. RG-59 was fine for older analog TV signals, but as cable and satellite systems moved to higher frequencies and digital signals, RG-6 became the industry standard for home installations.
Which type of coaxial connector is most commonly found on the back of consumer televisions and cable TV set-top boxes in North America?
Right! The F connector is the screw-on threaded connector ubiquitous on TVs, cable boxes, and wall plates across North America. It’s inexpensive to manufacture and easy for consumers to install, which helped make it the dominant connector type for residential cable and satellite TV wiring.
The answer is the F connector — that familiar screw-on threaded fitting on the back of virtually every TV and cable box in North America. BNC connectors are more common in professional video and networking applications, while SMA and PL-259 connectors are typically found in radio and RF equipment.
What is the characteristic impedance of the coaxial cable most commonly used for cable TV, satellite, and home antenna installations?
Exactly right! 75-ohm coaxial cable is the standard for video and broadcast applications including cable TV, satellite, and antenna systems. It’s optimized for minimum signal loss over long runs. The other common standard, 50 ohms, is used primarily in radio communications and test equipment where power handling is more important.
The correct answer is 75 ohms. This impedance is the global standard for video and broadcast distribution, including cable TV and satellite. The other widely used standard is 50 ohms, which is favored in radio communications equipment — but if you’re running a cable to your TV, it’s almost certainly 75 ohms.
In what decade was the first coaxial cable system used to carry long-distance telephone calls commercially in the United States?
Correct! AT&T and Bell Labs deployed the first commercial coaxial cable telephone system in the United States in 1936, connecting New York and Philadelphia. It could carry far more simultaneous calls than existing wire pairs, marking a major leap forward in long-distance communications infrastructure.
The answer is the 1930s. AT&T launched the first commercial coaxial telephone system in 1936, linking New York and Philadelphia. This was a landmark moment — coaxial cable’s ability to carry many channels simultaneously made it a transformative technology for long-distance communications well before it entered the home.
What is the purpose of the dielectric layer found between the inner conductor and the outer shield in a coaxial cable?
Well done! The dielectric material — often foam polyethylene or solid polyethylene — serves as an insulator that keeps the inner conductor precisely centered within the outer shield. This consistent geometry is critical for maintaining the cable’s characteristic impedance and ensuring predictable signal performance across a range of frequencies.
The correct answer is that the dielectric insulates the conductors and maintains consistent spacing to control impedance. The type and thickness of the dielectric directly affects the cable’s electrical characteristics, including its impedance and signal loss. Common dielectric materials include solid polyethylene and foam polyethylene, with foam generally offering lower signal loss.
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If you’ve got satellite TV, coax serves a similar purpose, running signals from your dish to the receiver(s) in your home. There’s not too much else to say about this except that the build quality of these cables can be extremely important — it needs to protect not just against electromagnetic interference, but moisture and extreme temperatures. Although your dish/antenna and the weather are more likely to blame for signal problems, it’s not inconceivable that cable flaws could be wreaking havoc too.
For many of you, I’ll bet the only place you’re used to seeing coax is cable internet. In that scenario, the cable can only connect directly to your modem, since its signal needs to be translated for anything to happen. From there, data is carried exclusively over Ethernet or Wi-Fi via a linked (or integrated) router. Even the cable from your modem to your router is based on Ethernet.
Beyond internet access, the next best use of coax is probably digital antennas. These are relatively cheap, and more importantly, subscription-free. They can’t replace Netflix, or even a cable or satellite plan — but you’ll always have access to local broadcast channels, and the quality can be surprisingly good if your antenna and TV are equipped for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). You may even get 4K HDR, if only on select channels, and most likely for live sports. I wouldn’t count on it for news or your local PBS station.
You may also see coax used in some home theater setups, say as a way of connecting a subwoofer or DAC (digital-to-analog converter). HDMI is preferred, though, because it provides far better bandwidth, enough to handle standards like Dolby Atmos.
What are coax’s big limitations?
The boundaries of an industry standard
There’s not much of a limit when it comes to TV or internet access. Over hybrid fiber/coax (HFC), an internet connection with DOCSIS 3.1 tech supports downloads up to 10Gbps, and uploads around 1 to 2Gbps. DOCSIS 4.0 raises the upload cap to 6Gbps, and a 10/6 split is more than enough to max out any home internet plan. Many people are lucky if their ISP provides 1 or 2.5Gbps downstream — either of which can handle multiple 4K streams with bandwidth to spare. In many circumstances, your Wi-Fi and personal devices are going to be more of a limitation than coax.
The tech’s biggest problems arise when you consider using coax for anything else. For one, as the specs above suggest, it’s best at pumping data in a single direction. Within your home, formats like Ethernet and USB are far better suited for two-way data transmission, which is one reason why you don’t see coax ports used for home networking unless it involves MoCA. That tech bridges Ethernet with coax, supporting speeds up to 2.5Gbps.
Coax is also easily outshined when it comes to power delivery and peak data speeds. While coax can actually deliver plenty of power, most digital devices expect handshake protocols that coax isn’t equipped for, at least not without an adapter. Meanwhile, PoE (Power over Ethernet) is sufficient for things like security cameras, and USB-C can sometimes handle up to 240W. Speaking of USB-C, ports equipped for USB 4.0 and Thunderbolt can shuttle between 40 and 120Gbps of data, depending on the versions involved. At its best, coax is comparable to USB 3.2 Gen 2.
The format is also very awkward physically. Coax ports are large and round, and the cables themselves often have to be shoved or screwed in — not exactly ideal for mobile devices, or anything where you might need to swap or remove cables on the fly. And the very thing that makes coax suitable for connecting to a satellite dish or fiber trunk — its tough shielding — also makes it less flexible. You’ve discovered this the hard way if you’ve ever tried to coil it.
Build quality also makes some forms of coax costlier than you might expect. As a rule, both Ethernet and USB are going to be more expensive, but thicker coax cables (for stronger signals) can quickly make Ethernet seem like a bargain.
Is there a future for coax?
Possibly, but doubtful
In the long term, probably not. While technologies like HFC and DOCSIS 4.0 are keeping coax relevant, the preferable way for delivering internet and TV is fiber to the home (FTTH). HFC is ultimately just a compromise, a way to avoid the expense of ripping out and replacing “last-mile” cable to your house or apartment. That’s not going to continue forever, and at some point, copper-based cables may simply be inadequate to keep up with what ISPs are willing to sell you.
For the foreseeable future, expect coax to hang around. There’s even work being done on a DOCSIS 5.0 standard, which could hypothetically enable 25Gbps downloads. If that comes to fruition, there may not be any rush to replace HFC until well into the 2030s, perhaps the 2040s. Not bad for a format that got its start before radio and TV existed.
