Which feature distinguishes coaxial cable from UTP cable?

Coaxial cable is distinguished from UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) cable primarily due to its construction, which includes a central conductor surrounded by insulation, a metallic shield, and an outer cover. This design allows coaxial cable to effectively reduce electromagnetic interference and provides a higher bandwidth capacity compared to UTP cable. The central conductor is typically made of copper, which carries the data, while the shielding helps to protect the signal from external sources of interference, making coaxial cable suitable for applications that require better signal integrity, like cable television and broadband internet.

In contrast, UTP cable features pairs of insulated wires twisted together, which serves to cancel out electromagnetic interference but does not provide the same level of shielding as coaxial cable. This fundamental difference in construction is what clearly sets coaxial cable apart in terms of its application and performance in networking scenarios.