A new Pew Internet study finds that nearly six in 10 Americans are connected to wireless broadband, up from about half of all Americans just last year.

The study also found that 87 percent of African-Americans and Latinos own a cellphone, with both groups often using mobile broadband as their primary Internet connection:

“Thirty-eight percent of cellphone owners now reach the Internet on their phones, compared with 25 percent a year ago. African-Americans and Latinos continue to own and use advanced features of cellphones more than whites do, with 87 percent of each group owning a cellphone compared with 80 percent for whites.”

The Pew study also found that:  “59 percent of adults now access the Internet wirelessly, from a laptop or mobile phone—that’s up from 51 percent in 2009. Less than half use their phones just to call people—taking pictures, sending texts, playing games, accessing the Internet and sending or receiving email are the activities rapidly dominating the mobile industry.”

In addition, the study found that 19 percent of adults ages 18 to 29 used text messaging to make a charitable donation last year:

“This speaks to the power of mobile technologies to encourage real-world action by a generation that is low on economic resources but still interested in making a difference,” said Aaron Smith, a research specialist at Pew.

Read more about the study here and here.