SAN FRANCISCO -- British telecommunications titan Virgin Media announced on Monday that it will use Yahoo oneSearch to power Internet exploration for its mobile service customers.

Virgin says that it plans to start using oneSearch at a new "enhanced mobile portal" beginning December 8.

"Our new Virgin Media mobile portal brings the web to consumers' pockets," Virgin Mobile managing director Graeme Oxby said in a release.

"By integrating Yahoo! oneSearch into the portal, we are ensuring our customers have all the information they need at their fingertips."

The pioneering California Internet firm's technology will be used to deliver news, music, video, games, entertainment and online search to people using Virgin mobile Internet connections.

OneSearch content is tailored for mobile use by minimizing the number of links followed to reach desired content and by delivering Internet pages formatted for screens of handheld devices.

For example, a search on a name of a film will result in a page with show times at local cinemas along with reviews and details about cast members.

California-based Yahoo, which has been struggling to improve its revenues in the face of daunting competition from Internet advertising colossus Google, is focusing on luring advertisers by effectively targeting mobile customers.

"Together, Virgin Media and Yahoo! are enhancing the user's mobile Internet experience in the UK while creating unique opportunities for advertisers to reach a highly-engaged audience of mobile consumers," said Mitch Lazar, managing director of Connected Life Europe, Yahoo.

Virgin is considered a role model for combining Internet, television, mobile telephone and fixed-line telephone services to become a "quadruple-play" media company with millions of customers.