NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. has approached wireless phone operators and handset makers as it looks for a piece of the market for advertisements on cellphones, the Wall Street Journal said on its Web site on Thursday.

The company, which has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its cellphone project, has approached several wireless operators in the U.S. and Europe in recent months, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources.

It is courting wireless operators to carry handsets customized for Google products, the paper reported.

The operators include AT&T , T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture of Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group , the paper said.

T-Mobile USA, a unit of Deutsche Telekom , appears to be the furthest along in considering it, the paper reported sources as saying.

Google has also developed prototype handsets and talked over technical specifications with manufacturers, it said.

LG Electronics is one of the manufacturers to have held talks with Google, the paper said.

None of the companies could be reached immediately for comment.
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