An antenna takes electrical input and broadcasts it out as radio waves, or receives radio waves and provides an electrical signal to a device to utilize that signal.
An antenna needs to be designed and carefully tuned for the frequencies that it needs to support, and they come in a variety of specifications for gain.
In terms of mobile internet, antennas are used for cellular, Wi-Fi, and satellite devices. They can be built directly in devices, or be externally attached via ports.