Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system that performs operations including receiving electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of a transmission medium having a non-hybrid wave mode and a cutoff frequency, detecting a degradation of a signal quality of the electromagnetic waves, generating adjusted electromagnetic waves having a hybrid wave mode and a non-optical frequency range responsive to the detecting, and directing the adjusted electromagnetic waves having the hybrid wave mode and the non-optical frequency range to the outer surface of the transmission medium for guiding propagation of the adjusted electromagnetic waves without utilizing an electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.