English-speaking Hispanics have made impressive gains in their use of the mobile Internet, according to a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Between 2007 and 2009, the percentage of English-speaking Hispanics who reported going online via hand-held devices on a typical day climbed from 18 percent to 29 percent. African Americans registered an even bigger increase, from 12 percent to 29 percent. Both groups outpaced the growth among white users (from 9 percent to 17 percent).
The Hispanics surveyed reported the highest penetration of cellphone ownership, at 89 percent. On a typical day, 14 percent of English-speaking Hispanics reported playing music and 5 percent reported watching video on a cellphone or PDA. In terms of overall digital activities, English-speaking Hispanics who are online or are cell phone users outscored the other two groups.
The study was conducted in English, so the Hispanic population surveyed was skewed to a higher socioeconomic group, the study notes. When Spanish speakers were factored in to Pew’s December 2008 study, the rate of broadband penetration in Hispanic homes was counted at 37 percent, while in the most recent study of English-speaking Hispanics, the rate was 68 percent.
