The mobile Internet is gaining traction, 44 percent of U.S. mobile phone users say they want a mobile phone with better Internet capabilities according to a study from the Kelsey Group, "Mobile Market View."

"The combination of unlimited data plans and next-generation Internet-enabled mobile devices, like Apple's iPhone, suggests mobile Web access will grow to become ubiquitous," said Matt Booth, senior vice president and program director, Interactive Local Media, The Kelsey Group.

"Growing mobile Internet usage and increased satisfaction with mobile Internet applications are among the converging factors that we believe point to a breakthrough year ahead for mobile ad adoption."

The Kelsey Group said last month that it estimates U.S. mobile search advertising revenues to rise from $33.2 million in 2007 to $1.4 billion in 2012, which would be a compound annual growth rate of 112 percent.

According to the study maps and local search are the most used mobile Internet applications. In the past six months, 9 percent of respondents used their mobile phones to perform Internet searches for products and services in their local area. In the same period 10 percent downloaded or looked at maps and 10 percent said they had downloaded search or mapping applications in addition to those that came with their mobile phones.

The study was conducted online among 500 U.S. mobile phone user aged 18 and over.

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