ONT stands for Optical Network Terminal. ONT and ONU both refer to the consumer end equipment in an optical fiber to the home (FTTH) communication link. As fiber networks become the backbone of modern connectivity, understanding the differences between core networking devices—ONU, router, and switch—is essential. It sends data only to the right device. In simple terms, it's a device that receives the optical signal from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) via a fiber optic cable and converts it into electrical signals that your router, computer, phone, and other devices can understand and use.