Delivery: Online | Est. Length: 20 Seat Hours | Price: $510.00
Course Overview
In a hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) system, the outside plant (OSP) is the shared, neighborhood-scale infrastructure that connects a cable operator’s headend to residential and business customers, using fiber for long-distance transport and coaxial cable for the final, local “last-mile” connection. The NCTI® HFC Outside Plant course provides a comprehensive introduction to the coaxial portion of hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) broadband networks, focusing on the technologies, equipment, and practices required to build, operate, and maintain reliable distribution systems.
Students learn how to properly prepare cable, select and install splice connectors, and ensure correct impedance, shielding, and weather sealing. The course emphasizes how splice quality directly affects both upstream and downstream performance, including signal loss, reflections, and ingress. Designed to build repeatable, field-ready skills, this training helps technicians reduce plant noise, improve reliability, and meet construction and maintenance standards in modern HFC networks.
Who should take this course
- HFC line technicians and maintenance technicians
- Construction and upgrade crews
- System and plant maintenance teams
- Technicians moving from drop cable to hardline
- Supervisors and QC personnel responsible for plant quality
What You Will Learn
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Understand broadband network architectures and signal flow by distinguishing between radio frequency and digital signal principles used in residential broadband systems.
- Analyze passive HFC devices by assessing their mechanical elements and their roles in signal dividing, combining, and power insertion.
- Explain how to read a network design map, then use the design map to splice splitters, directional couplers, power inserters, distribution taps, inline equalizers, and amplifiers into the coaxial cable portion of the hybrid fiber/coax network
- Describe the various hardline coaxial cable connectors and adapters, how the cable is prepared for connector attachment, the tools used, connector attachment, and options to ensure weatherproof connections
- Describe the mechanical and electrical properties of hardline coaxial cable and how to maintain these properties
- Describe the line extender amplifier and how to align it for operation in a hybrid fiber/coax network
- Describe distribution amplifiers and their applications in hybrid fiber/coax networks and guidelines for proper distribution amplifier operation
- Describe how power is provided over the coaxial cable in hybrid fiber/coax networks to operate fiber nodes and amplifiers
- Identify and use standard HFC coaxial test equipment to troubleshoot and maintain the coaxial portion of the network.
- Apply structured thinking and metacognitive strategies to develop effective and repeatable troubleshooting approaches
Prerequisite:
Recommended Next Courses:
Fiber Installation and Activation
Certification and Benefits
- Industry Recognition: Receive the NCTI Certificate of Graduation.
Course Outline
Broadband Technology Overview
Network architectures, radio frequency science, and digital signal
Characterizing Passive HFC Equipment
Listing the mechanical elements of passive devices, dividing and combining signals, inserting alternating current into the network, and describing distribution tap operation
Splicing Equipment Into Hardline Coaxial Cable
Reading the network design map, assessing the splicing project, and splicing scenarios
Connectorizing Hardline Coaxial Cable
Identifying hardline coaxial cable connectors and adapters, listing the tools to install hardline coaxial cable connectors, preparing hardline coaxial cable for connector installation, and installing hardline coaxial cable connectors and weatherproofing
Examining Hardline Coaxial Cable
etailing the mechanical properties of hardline coaxial cable, appraising the electrical properties of hardline coaxial cable, and assessing hardline coaxial cable characteristics
Line Extender Setup And Operations
Recognizing the role of the line extender, performing preliminary checks on a line extender, setting up the forward section of a line extender, and setting up the return section of a line extender
Distribution Amplifier Operation
Characterizing the distribution amplifier, assessing distribution amplifier applications, and verifying distribution amplifier operation
Powering HFC Networks
Applying power in the HFC network, recognizing network power insertion, maintaining network power supplies, and applying power calculations
Operating The Coaxial Cable Portion Of The HFC Network
Operating the coaxial cable portion of the HFC network
Thinking Skills For Troubleshooting
Apply structured thinking and metacognitive strategies to develop effective and repeatable troubleshooting approaches.