What type of cable is characterized by a lack of additional shielding?

Unshielded cables are defined by their absence of additional shielding around the conductors. This means that the individual pairs of wires are bundled together without extra layers to protect them from electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI). The design of an unshielded cable often allows for more flexibility and lower cost compared to shielded options, making them a common choice in many networking environments, especially where the risk of interference is lower.

In contrast, shielded cables have distinct protective layers that help to prevent interference, which can be beneficial in areas with high electromagnetic noise. Coaxial cables consist of a central conductor, insulating layer, metallic shielding, and an outer cover, which is quite different from the structure of unshielded cables. Fiber optic cables use light to transmit data and are not subject to electromagnetic interference issues in the same way that copper cables are, meaning they do not share the characteristics associated with being unshielded or shielded in the traditional sense.