Ont.

Abbreviation with 3 meanings

Ont.
Stands forOntario
Meanings3
CategoriesGeography & Places, Technology & Computing, Transportation & Travel
Also writtenONT

Ont. has three meanings. The most common are Ontario (Canadian province and territory) and Optical network terminal (telecom); it can also stand for Ontario International Airport.

Meanings of Ont. at a glance

#Ont. stands forContext
1OntarioGeography & Places › Canadian Province and Territory
2Optical network terminalTechnology & Computing › Telecom
3Ontario International AirportTransportation & Travel › Airport Code

1. Ontario

Geography & Places · Canadian Province and Territory Abbreviations

Traditional abbreviation of Ontario used in Canadian Press datelines (WINDSOR, Ont.), government publications, older maps and many business directories. It follows a city name in news copy, much as US papers write Calif. or Mass.

Example: WINDSOR, Ont. — Traffic backed up for kilometres at the Ambassador Bridge on Friday.

Ottawa and Toronto stand alone in most Canadian datelines without Ont., while smaller cities such as London need it to avoid confusion with London, England. Mailing addresses must use ON. The name likely comes from an Iroquoian word for great lake.

2. Optical network terminal (ONT)

Technology & Computing · Telecom Abbreviations

Device installed in a home or business that converts light signals on a fiber-optic line into electrical signals for an Ethernet connection to a router. It is the fiber equivalent of a modem.

Example: If the ONT's PON light is red, the fiber line itself has a fault.

Many providers install the ONT on a wall near where the fiber enters the building, sometimes combined with the Wi-Fi router. A related term, ONU (optical network unit), is often used interchangeably. Some ONTs offer telephone ports and battery backup for landline service during power outages.

3. Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Transportation & Travel · Airport Code Abbreviations

Airport serving California's Inland Empire, located in Ontario, about 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. It is a major West Coast cargo hub, with large UPS and FedEx operations.

Example: For family in Riverside, ONT is easier than fighting traffic to LAX.

ICAO code KONT. Not to be confused with the Canadian province: the airport is in the city of Ontario, California. Control passed from the City of Los Angeles to a local airport authority in 2016 after years of dispute over declining service. Passenger traffic has since recovered strongly.

More Canadian province and territory abbreviations

  • NT – Northwest Territories
  • NU – Nunavut
  • NWT – Northwest Territories
  • ON – Ontario
  • PE – Prince Edward Island
  • PEI – Prince Edward Island
  • PQ – Province of Quebec
  • QC – Quebec

See all 26 Canadian province and territory abbreviations →

More telecom abbreviations

  • NB-IoT – Narrowband Internet of Things
  • NFC – Near-field communication
  • NR – New Radio
  • OFDM – Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing
  • OTT – Over-the-top
  • PAYG – Pay as you go
  • PBX – Private branch exchange
  • PON – Passive optical network

See all 114 telecom abbreviations →