The speeds we're starting to see on next-gen mobile devices + networks are pretty impressive - more than can be used effectively without draining the battery in a hot second, at least. Now that we've got bandwidth figured out, it's time to tackle latency.

A coworker ran a speed test on his AT&T iPhone 4 in NE Portland at lunch and got about 1.4mbps down with a 150ms ping. I get about 3.9 - 4.3mbps down with an 80ms ping with my Nexus One (T-Mobile): http://j.mp/94sfpF

Both of these speeds are fantastic. The bandwidth question is highly network-dependent, and almost entirely moot once you're beyond the 800k mark -- especially with a low-latency ping, which is likely the biggest bottleneck when browsing the web.

We need device manufacturers and carriers to work closely, striving to reduce latency in mobile connections. For developers, it's critical to drive home the point of minimizing the number of HTTP requests. If you've got a minimum 200ms round-trip for each call and 98 items to load (NYT.com, tested a moment ago), it adds up quickly.