diff --git a/src/inet/common/Cable.cc b/src/inet/common/Cable.cc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0b92713a958
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/inet/common/Cable.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2013 OpenSim Ltd.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-or-later
+//
+
+#include "inet/common/Cable.h"
+
+namespace inet {
+
+Define_Channel(Cable);
+
+void Cable::initialize()
+{
+    cDatarateChannel::initialize();
+    enabledLineStyle = par("enabledLineStyle");
+    disabledLineStyle = par("disabledLineStyle");
+}
+
+void Cable::refreshDisplay() const
+{
+    cDatarateChannel::refreshDisplay();
+    getDisplayString().setTagArg("ls", 2, isDisabled() ? disabledLineStyle : enabledLineStyle);
+}
+
+}  // namespace inet
diff --git a/src/inet/common/Cable.h b/src/inet/common/Cable.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..395152fe390
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/inet/common/Cable.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2013 OpenSim Ltd.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-or-later
+//
+
+
+#ifndef __INET_CABLE_H
+#define __INET_CABLE_H
+
+#include "inet/common/INETDefs.h"
+
+namespace inet {
+
+class INET_API Cable : public cDatarateChannel
+{
+  protected:
+    const char *enabledLineStyle = nullptr;
+    const char *disabledLineStyle = nullptr;
+
+  protected:
+    virtual void initialize() override;
+    virtual void refreshDisplay() const override;
+};
+
+}  // namespace inet
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/inet/common/Cable.ned b/src/inet/common/Cable.ned
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ee49b90a66d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/inet/common/Cable.ned
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+//
+// Copyright (C) 2020 OpenSim Ltd.
+//
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-3.0-or-later
+//
+
+
+package inet.common;
+
+import ned.DatarateChannel;
+
+channel Cable extends DatarateChannel
+{
+    parameters:
+        string enabledLineStyle = default("solid");
+        string disabledLineStyle = default("dashed");
+        @class(Cable);
+}