The aim of this paper is to present an experimental validation of a frequency- domain approach to the solution of the lightning electromagnetic field-to- buried cable coupling equations. The coupling to the inner conductor is evaluated using the concept of cable transfer impedance. The theoretical model and relevant computer code are tested using experimental data on lightning-induced currents in buried cables carried out in 2002 and 2003 at the International Center for Lightning Research and Testing (ICLRT) at Camp Blanding, Florida where currents induced by triggered lightning events were measured at the ends of a buried coaxial cable, both in the shield and in the inner cable conductors. Reasonably good agreement has been found between numerical simulations and recorded waveforms. In particular, the early-time response of the cable and the peak value of the induced currents were generally well reproduced by the simulations. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.