The State Department provided $2.8 million to a team of American hackers

"The State Department provided $2.8 million to a team of American hackers, community activists and software geeks to develop the system, called a mesh network, as a way for dissidents abroad to communicate more freely and securely than they can on the open Internet. One target that is sure to start debate is Cuba; the United States Agency for International Development [USAID] has pledged $4.3 million to create mesh networks there."