A CATV system has a multitude of customer interfaces which include an
external unit and an internal unit. The units includes equipment for
signal conditioning, cable to telephone interface, and/or cable to
computer interface. The internal unit is provided with power by the
customer, and the power is used to operate the equipment of the units. The
customer supplied power is isolated from the power distributed in the
cable television system. Preferably, the customer supplied power is
conducted through the coaxial television cable between the internal unit
and the external unit. The invention reduces power consumption and allows
such customer interfaces to be easily added to existing and future cable
systems without overwhelming the existing AC power distribution system of
the cable television network.
