While NEPTUNE will be installed using conventional cable laying technology, a major design goal has been minimization of the cost of maintenance of the seafloor plant. This precludes a design which requires a telecommunications-standard cable repair in the event of an electronic failure in one of the seafloor nodes. Since extensive use of standard oceanographic ship and ROV assets in NEPTUNE is anticipated for science purposes, it makes sense to design the infrastructure so that it can be maintained using the same tools.