Dumb pipe

With regard to a mobile network operator (MNO, or operator), the term dumb pipe, or dumb network, refers to an operator’s network being used simply to transfer bytes between the customer’s device and the Internet. The use of the term “dumb” refers to the inability of the operator to restrict services and applications to its own portal and primarily just provide simple bandwidth and network speed.

Among the commonly understood operational models for a MNO are the dumb pipe, the smart pipe, and the walled garden.

Description

A dumb network is marked by using intelligent devices (i.e. PCs) at the periphery that make use of a network that does not interfere with or manage an application’s operation / communication. The dumb network concept is the natural outcome of the end to end principle. The Internet was originally designed to operate as a dumb network.

In some circles the dumb network is regarded as a natural culmination of technological progress in network technology. With the justification that the dumb network uniquely satisfies the requirements of the end to end principle for application creation, supporters see the dumb network as uniquely qualified for this purpose, as - by design - it is not sensitive to the needs of applications. The dumb network model can, in some ways, allow for flexibility and ease of innovation in the development of applications that is not matched by other models.