The argument about whether mobile is an under- or over-hyped platform can rage forever, but a new report presents one undeniable fact -- mobile internet use in the U.S. is growing.

That report, from Nielsen Mobile, says the mobile web has reached "critical mass" in the U.S., with nearly 40 million people, or 16 percent of all U.S. mobile users, browsing the internet on their mobile devices. Out of 16 countries surveyed, the U.S. had the highest mobile web penetration, according to the BBC.

The number of U.S. mobile users has nearly doubled in the past two years, but it could be quite larger. Close to 95 million Americans are paying for mobile web access and are not using the service because they are either unaware or disinterested, the report said.

Certain handsets also lead to more mobile usage. Nielsen discovered that 82 percent of iPhone owners use the mobile web, and they are five times as likely to do so as other mobile customers. The most popular device for accessing the mobile web in the U.S. is the Motorola RAZR.

However, mobile web usage doesn't mean consumers are throwing their laptops out with the trash. The study found that users visit 6.4 websites per month on their mobile devices, compared to the more than 100 URLs a home computer user visits on the internet. The primary uses of the mobile web were to check email, visit social networks and make bank transactions.