optical line terminal (OLT)
An optical line terminal (OLT) is the endpoint hardware device in a passive optical network (PON).
An OLT has two primary functions:
- Converting the standard signals used by a FiOS service provider to the frequency and framing used by the PON system.
- Coordinating the multiplexing between the conversion devices on the optical network terminals (ONTs) located on the customers’ premises.
The OLT contains a central processing unit (CPU), passive optical network cards, a gateway router (GWR) and voice gateway (VGW) uplink cards. It can transmit a data signal to users at 1490 nanometers (nm). That signal can serve up to 128 ONTs at a range of up to 12.5 miles by using optical splitters.