Sustainable Internet Lab
Research·Environmental/Sustainability·Education
The Sustainable Internet Lab is an undergraduate-led research organization studying the environmental and social impacts of digital infrastructure: subsea cables, data centers, and internet exchange points. Members conduct independent research, publish in industry journals, and present at major conferences. The lab also runs 'Building a Sustainable Internet,' a DeCal course that broke Berkeley's record for largest student-taught class, enrolling 350 students from 60 majors in its third semester.
350
DeCal enrollment (Fall 2025), representing students from 60 different majors
100
DeCal enrollment (Spring 2025), representing students from 32 different majors (almost)
340
DeCal enrollment (earlier semester, guest lecture reference), more than
#1
Largest student-taught course in the college's history
Events They Host
Speaker Series: Building a Global, Equitable, and Just Internet Infrastructure
Ongoing speaker series bringing global scholars, policymakers, and industry professionals to Berkeley to discuss the social and environmental impacts of internet infrastructure. Funded by the Big C SIP Grant. Past speakers include Sonia Jorge (Global Digital Inclusion Partnership), Hubert Han (Embassy of Singapore), Dave Maas (Electronic Frontier Foundation), and others.
Building a Sustainable Internet DeCal
Student-taught course open to all Berkeley undergraduates, offered every semester through the DeCal program. Covers hidden environmental costs of the internet, social equity of access, and sustainable technologies. Enrolled 350 students from 60 majors in Fall 2025, breaking Berkeley's record for largest student-taught course.
SPLASH: Hidden Environmental Costs of the Internet
One-day crash course taught every semester by lab researchers for high school students as part of UC Berkeley's Splash program.
Pacific Telecommunications Council Annual Conference (PTC '25)
Researchers presented on undersea cable recovery and recycling. Lab researchers were the youngest presenters in the conference's history. Held in Hawaii.
Submarine Networks World 2024 (SNW 2024)
Undergraduate researchers Ella Herbert and Michael Brand presented research in Singapore in collaboration with Hesham Youseff from Telecom Egypt.
SubOptic 2025
Researchers documented emerging industry trends at the SubOptic 2025 conference and published a conference review.
Data Center Dynamics Conference New York 2025
The Bringing Lightning to the Cloud team attended and published a review in Data Center Dynamics. Michael Brand gave a short talk on the Building a Sustainable Internet course.
SIGCIS 2025 (16th Annual Conference of the Special Interest Group in Computing, Information, and Society)
Graduate students Isa Bratton-Benfield and Michael Brand presented research on the sustainability of media infrastructures.
7th Annual Nordic Science and Technology Studies Conference
Michael Brand presented the lab's Building a Sustainable Internet course at Stockholm University and KTH Royal Institute for Technology.
RCNR Research Showcase (Rausser College of Natural Resources)
The Bringing Lightning to the Cloud team presented two research posters on data center energy regulation and on-site microgrid power sourcing.