AT&T plans to push a new advertising model as the cornerstone of new wireless services initiatives, according to an interview with Chairman-CEO Edward Whitacre Jr. in today's Wall Street Journal.

The plan includes selling advertising on cell phones, AT&T television and broadband internet services, and is expected to generate several billion dollars in advertising revenue per year, writes MediaPost (via MediaBuyerPlanner). The move comes as Sprint Nextel and Verizon also pursue the advertising marketplace.

AT&T has already pulled together an ad sales team and has begun briefing Madison Avenue on its plans to develop new advertising services based on its U-verse package - a telephone, internet and TV combo aimed at its base of 58.7 million wireless and 67.5 million land-line phone customers.