That is a very complicated answer.
Surfing depends on much more than just data speed. If I tether my phone to a laptop/PC surfing is very fast, not DSL speed but very, very good.
On the phone, you have to remember it is a 400mhz CPU in there, which is also running background processes (which is always the case with a phone PPC) which delay page rendering. Add to that PIE trying to re-scale the page to the screen adding to that delay.
Don't get me wrong, surfing isn't SLOW, but if you're looking for PC speed get a pc
It won't happen.
I have found that most sites I need to read have mobile versions that are more than adequate. Online banking, however, is always an issue due to their security requirements. Some work, some do not (you have to research specifics, I have COMMERCE and the site works fine).
You can also speed up surfing time by disabling web page images, but I have never felt the need to do that.
In any case, it is MUCH faster than a sidekick.
I wish nascar.com had a mobile page, that site takes forever to load (and you can also notice the delay on a regular PC). That's life I guess