A corporate entity whose core infrastructure is built on hybrid fiber-coaxial networks. Originally established to deliver linear television, these providers upgraded their physical plants to offer high-speed internet and voice services. The term differentiates them from traditional telephone companies that operate copper twisted-pair networks.
The cableco is trenching down Main Street to run new fiber nodes for their DOCSIS upgrade.
In regulatory and industry discussions, cablecos are often contrasted with telcos, as they operate under different historical regulations and legacy architectures.
Also heard as
- cable company
Related terms
DOCSIS
Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification defines how high-speed data is transmitted over coaxial television networks.
ILEC
The established regional telephone company that owned the original copper wire monopoly before market deregulation.
CLEC
A competitive local exchange carrier is a telecom provider competing with the established regional telephone company.