Hispanics in the United States are less likely than white, non-Hispanics to access the Internet, use a home broadband connection or own a cell phone, according to survey findings from the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center.
Hispanics also lag behind African Americans in home broadband access but the two groups have similar rates of Internet and cell phone use.
While about two-thirds of Hispanic (65 percent) and African American (66 percent) adults went online in 2010, more than three-fourths (77 percent) of white adults accessed the Internet.
In terms of broadband use at home, there is a large gap between Hispanic (45 percent) and white adults (65 percent), and the rate among African Americans (52 percent) is somewhat higher than that of Hispanics.
Meanwhile, about 85 percent of white, non-Hispanic Americans owned a cell phone in 2010, compared with 76 percent of Hispanics and 79 percent of African Americans.
However, the study noted that, on average, Hispanics in the U.S. tend to have lower levels of education and earn less than whites. But for those in both groups that have similar socioeconomic characteristics, usage patterns for these technologies are on the same level, the report said.
Not surprisingly, Internet use, home Internet use, home broadband access and cell phone ownership are less prevalent at older ages among Hispanics. From 2009 to 2010, the number of Hispanics ages 18 to 29 who were online jumped from 75 percent to 85 percent, and the group of those with cell phones rose from 81 percent to 90 percent.