Some 10% of African American adults indicate that they do not have a traditional broadband connection in their home, but that they do own a smartphone. This means that 72% of African Americans have either a home broadband connection or a smartphone (or both). Here is how that 72% breaks down:
46% of African Americans have both a broadband connection and a smartphone
16% have home broadband connection, but not a smartphone
10% have a smartphone, but not broadband at home
Ultimately, smartphones narrow—but do not eliminate entirely—the “high speed access gap” between whites and blacks. As noted above there is a 12-point difference between whites and blacks when it comes to home broadband adoption; by contrast, there is an 8-point difference between whites and blacks when it comes to the proportion of each group who has either a home broadband connection or a smartphone.