80% of African Americans online, 67% have broadband

African Americans are racing to the Internet in record numbers, according to the 2005 AOL African American Cyberstudy. They report spending more time on the Internet (5 hours a day vs. 2.9 hours a day for the general online population) and are closing the gap in Internet usage with nearly 80% of African Americans having access to the Internet (vs. 88% of the general population). 67% of online African American households have a high-speed connection vs. 53% of the general population. They are far more likely to use the Web to access a variety of information: news (68% vs. 56%), entertainment (55% vs. 26%), health related issues (72% vs. 53%), financial questions/needs (60% vs. 40%) and sports (39% vs. 26%). Other popular activities include: using a search engine (92%), communicating with family and friends (86%), using the Internet to get driving directions (85%), opening a bank account or online banking (62%) and listening to music online (62%). 62% of African Americans feel the Internet is helpful with individual career advancement and is a useful education tool (80%) for all ages.