The article "The infrastructural conditions of (de-)growth: The case of the internet" by Mario Pansera, Javier Lloveras, and Daniel Durrant explores the role of infrastructure in degrowth, focusing on the internet as a global mega-infrastructure. The authors argue that while infrastructure is crucial for achieving equitable distribution of well-being, it also consumes significant resources and energy. The internet, in particular, is examined for its physical and logical layers, highlighting the resource implications of data centers and submarine cables, as well as the growth-dependent logic built into its protocols and governance mechanisms. The article reviews the work of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Large Technological System (LTS) studies to understand the inherent problems of large infrastructures. It suggests that the internet's physical layer, including submarine cables and data centers, is highly resource-intensive and energy-consuming. The logical layer, governed by protocols and governance mechanisms, is also designed with the expectation of perpetual growth, reinforcing the growth paradigm. The authors propose an analytical framework to identify the factors driving infrastructure growth, combining principles from STS, LTS, and the works of Geels and Hughes. They argue that the internet's growth is driven by network design and governance-financial mechanisms, which are inherently growth-dependent. The increasing private ownership of critical infrastructures and the need for continuous upgrades further reinforce this growth trajectory. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of voluntary restraint in degrowth for the governance and materiality of the internet, suggesting a more 'sober' approach that accepts the limits of existing infrastructure while promoting efficiency and restricting harmful content. It also calls for further research on large-scale infrastructure and its role in degrowth.The article "The infrastructural conditions of (de-)growth: The case of the internet" by Mario Pansera, Javier Lloveras, and Daniel Durrant explores the role of infrastructure in degrowth, focusing on the internet as a global mega-infrastructure. The authors argue that while infrastructure is crucial for achieving equitable distribution of well-being, it also consumes significant resources and energy. The internet, in particular, is examined for its physical and logical layers, highlighting the resource implications of data centers and submarine cables, as well as the growth-dependent logic built into its protocols and governance mechanisms. The article reviews the work of Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Large Technological System (LTS) studies to understand the inherent problems of large infrastructures. It suggests that the internet's physical layer, including submarine cables and data centers, is highly resource-intensive and energy-consuming. The logical layer, governed by protocols and governance mechanisms, is also designed with the expectation of perpetual growth, reinforcing the growth paradigm. The authors propose an analytical framework to identify the factors driving infrastructure growth, combining principles from STS, LTS, and the works of Geels and Hughes. They argue that the internet's growth is driven by network design and governance-financial mechanisms, which are inherently growth-dependent. The increasing private ownership of critical infrastructures and the need for continuous upgrades further reinforce this growth trajectory. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications of voluntary restraint in degrowth for the governance and materiality of the internet, suggesting a more 'sober' approach that accepts the limits of existing infrastructure while promoting efficiency and restricting harmful content. It also calls for further research on large-scale infrastructure and its role in degrowth.