Seems that the idea of the mobile Internet is catching on. Enough so, in fact, that 45% of people polled by The Kelsey Group indicated that they will specifically look for better mobile Internet capabilities on their next phone. Will you?

Just yesterday Over The Air blogger Stephen Wellman outlined five reasons why the mobile Web rocks. While my experiences have been more uneven, I am inclined to agree that, for the most part, the mobile Web is the best thing ever. I am not alone.

According to new research from The Kelsey Group and ConStat, 44.7% of U.S. mobile phone users said that good mobile Internet features will be a major factor in the decision about which phone to get next.

Says Matt Booth, senior VP and program director of interactive local media at The Kelsey Group:

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. 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 survey didn't detail what it was in particular that respondents didn't like about their current equipment. It would be interesting to know if it was the screen size, the data speeds, the WAP site appearance, or the lack of certain technologies like Flash that people were disappointed with.

Either way, the numbers speak pretty clearly. The mobile Internet is catching on, and it's beginning to influence purchasing decisions.