In response to an impending partnership between Google Inc. and Verizon, Yahoo Inc. has partnered with AT&T to power mobile search on the wireless carrier’s on-deck portal.

Per the deal, Yahoo oneSearch is now powering mobile Internet searches made through AT&T’s on-deck MEdia Net portal. AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to integrate Yahoo’s mobile search service directly into its portal.

“This alliance will enhance the customer experience, expand the AT&T-Yahoo partnership to the three screens,” said said Jenny Bridges, spokeswoman for AT&T, Dallas, TX. “It will also build on existing capabilities and strong assets that are unique to AT&T and Yahoo.

The companies hope to deliver an integrated communications and entertainment experience to consumers, while creating significant new advertising-based revenue opportunities for both companies across the broadband and wireless screens.

“We’re always looking to improve our services for our customers, and we believe they will benefit from a more personalized, enhanced, and intuitive AT&T portal experience, whether at home or on the road,” she said. “We know our customers want mobile search to be intuitive and Yahoo oneSearch is an important step for us in delivering that level of experience to them.”

The initial partnership between AT&T and Yahoo was announced in January.

This latest announcement comes in the wake of the news that Google and Verizon Wireless are nearing a deal that would add the Internet giant’s search interface to the carrier’s mobile devices (see story).

Yahoo oneSearch will provide customers who search AT&T MEdia Net with access to news, financial information, weather conditions, Flickr photos and Web images, as well as Web and mobile Web sites.

Yahoo oneSearch will also display relevant ringtones, wallpaper, games and other content available in the AT&T MEdia Mall within search results, eliminating the need for customers to search within a separate window for downloadable content.

AT&T’s Yellowpages.com will provide local search information to customers as part of the agreement.

Yahoo is providing mobile-sponsored search advertising within mobile search results conducted through the AT&T MEdia Net portal.

“On the wireless screen, AT&T will leverage Yahoo’s expertise to carefully integrate advertisements aimed at being useful to consumers,” Ms. Bridges said.

“In the context of search, there will be monetizable search queries, just as in PC search, and Yahoo will be primary in driving the monetization of search terms,” said Bruce Stewart, vice president and general manager of Connected Life Americas for Yahoo, Sunnyvale, CA. “There will be display advertising in the AT&T experience, which is an opportunity for both of us to sell ads in the MEdia Net platform.”

Yahoo oneSearch returns results grouped around the consumer’s query intent.

For example, when consumers search for a sports team, Yahoo returns the latest scores, schedules, team profiles, roster, news, images and a link to the team’s Web site.

Alternatively, if a consumer searches for a movie, Yahoo returns show times at local theatres, reviews, news articles and information on the cast.

Yahoo will provide access to photos, flash images, driving directions and other applications in addition to the consumables that people have traditionally found on the mobile Web.

Yahoo claims that oneSearch is designed so that consumers no longer need to surf through a sea of links to find the information they want while on-the-go.

“Mobile search is not PC search, and people are not interested in getting 100 or 1,000 links in response to a mobile query,” Mr. Stewart said. “OneSearch recognizes that a consumer is on a mobile device and delivers answers, not just links, creating a useful experience for consumers.

“It also creates reach and scale for advertisers, enabling them to reach the rapidly growing audience of mobile consumers,” he said. “The collective strategy of the partnership between AT&T and Yahoo is to deliver a rich mobile Web experience that is intuitive for consumers, and we believe we’ve built a product that is best-in-class for search on a mobile device.”