[1] The connector has a 50 Ω impedance and operates best in the 0–11 GHz frequency spectrum.

Invented in the late 1950s and named after Paul Neill of Bell Labs and Carl Concelman of Amphenol, the TNC connector has been employed in a wide range of radio and wired applications.

[5] Because they were not readily available, RP-TNC connectors have been widely used by Wi-Fi equipment manufacturers to comply with specific local regulations, such as those from the FCC,[6] which are designed to prevent consumers from connecting antennas which exhibit gain and therefore breach compliance.

The FCC considered that the RP-TNC was acceptable in preventing consumers changing the antenna; but by 2000 it regarded them as readily available,[7] though delaying its ruling indefinitely.

Most TNC connectors are 50-ohm type even when used with coaxial cable of other impedances,[citation needed] but a 75-ohm series is also available, providing a good SWR to about 1 GHz.