According to Google, the era of mobile Internet is at hand. In recent months, the company has seen sharp increases in mobile Internet usage spurred by Google services offered on BlackBerry, Nokia and iPhone devices.

Matt Waddell, a product manager for Google Mobile, asserts, “We have very much hit a watershed moment in terms of mobile Internet usage.” He suggests that while per-minute charges of the past discouraged mobile Web browsing, the availability of flat-rate data plans from carriers encourages consumers to connect with the Internet over their phones. Of course, Waddell also remarked that improved Web browsers and well-designed services from companies like Google are fueling growth.

Recent Google software has allowed mobile users to increase Web search speeds by up to 40%. This increase has significantly contributed to the exponential growth of mobile Internet users. Waddell states, “We are actually seeing a 20 percent increase in the number of searches by people.”

“Faster is better than slow, especially on a mobile device, where fast is much better than slow,” Waddell said. “Not only are we are seeing increased user satisfaction but also greater usage.”

It will certainly be interesting to observe and explore the ways in which the “era of mobile Internet” will impact teaching and learning in the 21st century. For a full article on Google Mobile, check out MobileCruch.com.