Final answer:
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) is the cloud computing category that would provide access to hardware and network services, allowing you to install your own OS and applications.
Step-by-step explanation:
The category of cloud computing that would provide access to hardware and network services, allowing you to install your own OS and applications, is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). IaaS offers virtualized computing resources over the internet, including virtual machines, storage, and networking capabilities, giving you the flexibility to build and manage your own IT infrastructure