Primary Infrastructure
The primary infrastructure of RSN consists of seven primary nodes which were installed in 2012 by [http://www.l-3mps.com/maripro/index.aspx L-3 Maripro].  They are terminal points which help distribute power and bandwidth to the networks of deployed sensors.
Approximately 900 kilometers of cable (referred to as backbone cable) have been used to connect the primary nodes together.  These cables make landfall at the shore station in Pacific, City, Oregon.
In 2005, over 175 scientists across the United States responded to a Request for Assistance from the National Science Foundation to develop a cabled observatory on the Juan de Fuca Plate.  Nodes are located at pre-selected experimental sites throughout the Juan de Fuca plate.  Axial Seamount, Hydrate Ridge on the Cascadia Margin and shallow water sites west of Newport, Oregon (the Endurance Array) all have primary nodes installed.  The primary nodes are all located in environmentally benign areas.
Nodes also convert the 10kVdc voltage levels from the backbone cable to 375Vdc which is then directed to the secondary infrastructure. The 375V switching systems and Node telemetry systems were designed and manufactured by Texcel Technology Plc based in England. The software to manage the ports and telemetry protection systems was also supplied by Texcel as an element manager sitting under a Network Management System (NMS).
The primary nodes have a number of extra ports which offer the potential for large-scale future expansion (>100 kilometers).
Secondary Infrastructure
The converted 375Vdc voltage from the primary nodes is then directed at low-and medium-power nodes and junction boxes.  The nodes and junction boxes (similar to power strips) offer direct power and communications to the instruments at the experimental sites.  In concert, these parts make up the RSN secondary infrastructure. 
Extension cables are used to link the primary nodes to the secondary infrastructure, providing power and communications.
Equipment is linked using wet-mate connectors.  Different types of cable were installed depending on load requirements.  Bandwidth from these cables ranges from 10 Gbit/s to 1 Gbit/s.
During the VISIONS ’13 expedition to continue construction of RSN, over 22,000 meters of extension cables were installed on the ocean floor.  The cables all successfully went online.
Upon completion in 2014, over 100 cabled seafloor and water column instruments will be operational.  These instruments will allow monitoring of biological, chemical, geological, and geophysical processes in the ocean.  The secondary infrastructure will also include six mooring systems for water-column profilers.  
Cables are frequently deployed all across the world in ocean basins and margins.  They have considerably long lifetimes.  The backbone cable was installed in the summer of 2011.  The commercial cable-laying ship, [http://www.subcom.com/process/install-and-test/fleet.aspx TE SubCom Dependable], carried out this phase of the project.
Special environmental requirements were also taken into account.  Certain cables are substantially well-armored, especially those deployed in volcanic areas, such as Axial Seamount.