<s>
A	O
data	B-Architecture
mule	I-Architecture
is	O
a	O
vehicle	O
that	O
physically	O
carries	O
a	O
computer	O
with	O
storage	O
between	O
remote	O
locations	O
to	O
effectively	O
create	O
a	O
data	O
communication	O
link	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
data	B-Architecture
mule	I-Architecture
is	O
a	O
special	O
case	O
of	O
a	O
sneakernet	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
data	O
is	O
automatically	O
loaded	O
and	O
unloaded	O
when	O
the	O
data	B-Architecture
mule	I-Architecture
arrives	O
at	O
its	O
terminal	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Disruption	B-Protocol
Tolerant	I-Protocol
Networking	I-Protocol
(	O
DTN	O
)	O
can	O
use	O
data	B-Architecture
mules	I-Architecture
to	O
exchange	O
data	O
among	O
computers	O
that	O
do	O
not	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
-based	O
Internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Data	B-Architecture
mules	I-Architecture
have	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
offer	O
internet	O
connectivity	O
to	O
remote	O
villages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Data	B-Architecture
mules	I-Architecture
are	O
a	O
cost-effective	O
mechanism	O
for	O
rural	O
connectivity	O
because	O
they	O
use	O
inexpensive	O
commodity	O
hardware	O
,	O
can	O
be	O
quickly	O
installed	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
piggy	O
backed	O
on	O
existing	O
transportation	O
infrastructure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
data	B-Architecture
mule	I-Architecture
is	O
likely	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
term	O
mule	O
in	O
smuggling	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
backronym	O
MULE	O
(	O
Mobile	O
Ubiquitous	O
LAN	O
Extension	O
)	O
is	O
also	O
claimed	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
source	O
.	O
</s>
