电缆按其用途可分为电力电缆、通信电缆和控制电缆等。与架空线相比,电缆的优点是线间绝缘距离小,占地空间小，地下敷设而不占地面以上空间，不受周围环境污染影响，送电可靠性高，对人身安全和周围环境干扰小。但造价高，施工、检修均较麻烦，制造也较复杂。因此，电缆多应用于人口密集和电网稠密区及交通拥挤繁忙处；在过江、过河、海底敷设则可避免使用大跨度架空线。在需要避免架空线对通信干扰的地方以及需要考虑美观或避免暴露目标的场合也可采用电缆。
Cables can be divided into power cables, communication cables and control cables according to their uses. Compared with the overhead line, the advantages of the cable are small insulation distance between lines, small floor space, underground laying without occupying the space above the ground, not affected by the surrounding environment pollution, high reliability of power transmission, small interference to personal safety and the surrounding environment. But the cost is high, the construction and maintenance are troublesome, and the manufacturing is also complex. Therefore, cables are mostly used in densely populated areas, power grids and places with heavy traffic, and long-span overhead lines can be avoided when they are laid across rivers, rivers and seafloors. Cables can also be used where the interference of overhead lines to communication needs to be avoided and where aesthetics or exposure of objects need to be considered.