Frequency Assignment
Cable television works through the transmission of separate frequencies. The process of cable television operation thus actually begins when the FCC assigns a particular frequency to a particular station. Each station that is available on a television has a FCC-assigned frequency of approximately 6 megahertz of bandwidth, which the stations can use to broadcast.
Receipt of Signal
Each television station, once it has an assigned frequency from the FCC, transmits its signal to satellites that orbit the globe. These signals then are picked up and sorted by the cable companies through antennas and satellite dishes. In some cases, when the signal to be transmitted and the cable company are in close proximity, the cable company uses fiber optic networks to receive the signal instead of satellites.
Data Distribution and Amplification
Once the cable companies have received the signals from the individual television stations, they send them to cable subscribers as an electrical current through a coaxial or fiber optic cable network. If coaxial networking is used, then as the data travels through the cable, amplifiers within the cable keep the signal strong.
Data Interpretation
When the cable signals enter a subscriber's home through the cable network, a cable box translates the signal into an image the subscriber can see on the television screen. When you tune into a specific station, the cable box is separating out all the signals that are sent through the cable and translating only the one you wish to see.
Advancements
Fiber optic cables allow signals to travel faster than on coaxial cable. In addition, digital technology has allowed for signals that take up less space on the cable. This means that more signals can be sent at once and that the subscriber has access to a greater number of channels and program options. In theory, thousands of channels could be used, although several hundred is currently the maximum.
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