HFC network hybrid fiber-coax network HFC networks combine both optical-fiber and coaxial cable lines. Optical fiber runs from the cable head end to neighborhoods of 500 to 2,000 subscribers. Coaxial cable runs from the optical-fiber feeders to each subscriber. Hybrid networks provide many of fiber's reliability and bandwidth benefits at a lower cost than a pure fiber network. As of late 1996, about 7 percent of cable systems had been upgraded to HFC. See also: optical fiber (fiber-optic cable), coaxial cable, head end, frequency spectrum