Google Seeks Billions by Boosting Mobile Internet Speeds

Like many users of mobile devices, Arvind Jain is annoyed by how long it takes Web pages to load over cellular connections. The Google engineering director is continually monitoring Internet-access rates -- from hotels, offices and airport lounges around the world -- looking for ways to speed things up. Jain’s mission: get websites to load over mobile- phone networks twice as quickly as they do now.

Today’s times are typically 9.2 seconds in the US. The goal is part of a companywide initiative for Google, the world’s biggest search-engine provider, which aims to use faster mobile Internet access to unlock billions of dollars in additional e-commerce and online advertising. When people are waiting for pages to load, they aren’t shopping or viewing ads. That’s hampering everyone from giant Internet companies to local businesses trying to reach customers. “There’s a clear correlation between speed and the success of your online business,” Jain said. What makes a mobile Web connection slow? In some cases, it’s the carriers’ network -- say, if users can’t get 3G or 4G service on their phones. Often, though, it’s because the Web page wasn’t designed to load quickly on a wireless device. The site may have high-resolution pictures or data-intensive effects. Beyond that, Internet protocols and software aren’t always optimized for mobile connections, which can lose some of the data they transmit.