‘Free internet’ or ‘illegal access points’ in Cuba

‘The arrival of fibre optics in the island via the ALBA-1 submarine cable from Venezuela and the unblocking of some websites have offered a glimmer of hope, but Cuba still denies most of its population free access to the Internet. The Castro government has developed its own control model based on a local Intranet, sky-high Internet access costs and an all-pervading government presence.’

‘In response to the problems of Internet access, information is passed from person to person using a USB memory stick, and some people have tried to set up illegal access points. But agents patrol the streets to track down and destroy satellite antennas, and the risks for individuals are serious. Antennas are placed every 5 square kilometres to jam the signals.’

We have followed some of the people setting up the so-called ‘illegal access points’ in Cuba. See what motivates them and why they take the risks.

Quotations from Reporters without borders text ‘Enemies of the Internet’
Here is a link to the text about Cuba.

‘The Internet is a collective resource. Don’t let Enemies of the Internet turn it into a weapon in the service of special interests.’