Imagine that you are building the backbone of the global internet. You are tasked with constructing subsea cables that stretch across oceans and data centers that store and compute digital content. Without these foundational infrastructures, a global internet could not exist. Yet these mega-projects can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take years to execute. What is required to build such massive systems and facilities? What kinds of political, environmental, and technological challenges will you face? How will you fund your project? What kinds of social and economic effects can you expect? In this class, as you consider developing the internet’s backbone in different parts of the world, you will learn to answer these questions. Historically, this information has been limited to a small cadre of infrastructure-builders – these people will share their knowledge about the design of the internet’s backbone with students in this course. The course will cover financial considerations, the process of project management, and the hurdles–from permitting to weather–on the ground. Case studies will focus on digital infrastructure in several different locations around the world. The course will use a service level agreement as the framework to dive into various topics to design, build, operate, and maintain various pieces of digital infrastructure
This multi-disciplinary course will be rigorous, but requires no previous training in digital infrastructure or technology. As is true across the Berkeley Center for New Media’s digital infrastructure curriculum, the impact and significance of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and energy will be critical topics. In this course, students will learn approaches to building sustainable infrastructure for artificial intelligence. As a culminating project, students will work in teams to design a new digital infrastructure, considering everything from architecture to regulation.
MODULE 01: Planning a Digital Infrastructure Project
MODULE 02: Subsea Cable Design and Development
MODULE 03: Data Center and Cable Landing Station Design
MODULE 04: Navigating Permits & Regulation
MODULE 05: Manufacturing and Cable Installation
MODULE 06: Construction and Commissioning
Online Format:
All lecture and discussion content will be scheduled synchronously so that students will have the opportunity to ask questions, contribute ideas, and hear from guest lecturers. It will also be recorded and made available for any student that needs to take the course asynchronously.
Taught by Erick Contag
Erick Contag (President – Board of Trustees | SubOptic Foundation; Founder – CEO | StratWorks, Inc; Independent Board Member | Padtec; Co-Founder & Board Advisor | Seafields Solutions, Ltd; Former CEO and Executive Chairman | GlobeNet Cabos Submarinos) is a seasoned strategist driven by his passion for building and managing sustainable digital infrastructures. With over twenty-five years of executive management, entrepreneurship, marketing & sales, and business development experience, he specializes in building high-performance teams, fostering growth, and scalability.
Mr. Contag has been responsible for managing C-level relationships and telecommunications / high-technology projects for start-up enterprises through large multi-national and Global 100 companies. He has proven success in starting, building, and operating telecommunications / subsea networks, and colocation / data centers infrastructure and high-tech businesses. Mr. Contag was awarded three times the Global Telecoms Business Power 100 Award, an honor bestowed upon the most powerful 100 executives in the telecom industry.
Mr. Contag has held executive positions in the U.S. and Latin America and serves on the Board of Directors of several companies and industry associations. He believes in giving back to society through education and research programs.
Mr. Contag holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tulsa, U.S. and an Executive Engineering Management certification from Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA). More recently, he attended the Executive Program at Singularity University.