According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Google is working on a search engine designed to help users find mobile content such as ringtones, games, wallpapers and other paid content.

The WSJ said Google's new service would provide mobile phone users with a list of companies that provide a desired item, and Google would make money by charging companies for high placement on the list. The report said Google has been working on the project for months with unspecified content providers, but has run into some technical delays.

The Internet company is also considering the inclusion of a social-networking component that would let users of the company's Gmail email service exchange content. Overall, the service would work much like the Google Product Search service, formerly known as Froogle.

WSJ further reported, "Google's plans to broker the sale of mobile content like ringtones and games could become a threat to large cellphone operators like Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., especially if Google enables customer payment through eBay Inc.'s PayPal or its own online Checkout service. The operators have built their own storefronts to sell such material, and they would prefer to hold on to consumers' attention and spending. If billing goes through the carriers instead, appearing on customers' monthly bills, carriers could actually benefit because they usually get a significant cut of such transactions