Skype can now get access to 500,000 + Wi-Fi hotspot (Mashable)

Skype has announced a new partner program for its Wi-Fi hotspot, Skype Access, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday.

Using Skype Access, Skype users can pay for Wi-Fi hotspot using Skype credit on a pay-as-you-go basis (per minute), rather than having to pay day or hour. Skype has introduced this program in January 2009 and the network slowly expanded over time.

At Mobile World Congress, the company announced that it has expanded its partnerships to include more than 500,000 trouble spots. This includes 500 airports, 30,000 hotels and many other locations. In addition, Skype offers free access to Skype throughout Spain through on 18 February.

List of Skype to Skype Access partners include:

BT Openzone-the largest provider of Wi-Fi hotspots in the United Kingdom. FON-this is billed as the "world's largest Wi-Fi network."M3 Connect-provider of Major German Wi-Fi Line 44-a broadband platform in flight that serves many international flights.Skyrove-a hotspot provider in South Africa. Spectrum Interactive-Wi-Fi provider in the United Kingdom with a focus on the travel industry and media.Tomizone-a provider of Wi-Fi in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Vex-a South African Wi-Fi provider. to use Skype Access, users must use the latest version of Skype for Mac or Windows. In addition to its expanding programme Skype Access, Skype also announced its new Mobile Partner program. This program is aimed at mobile operators in areas with lower penetration of broadband 3 G. It is designed to allow mobile telephony operators to provide customers with services and facilities.

The program follows past partnerships that Skype has forged with Verizon, KDDI and Hutchinson 3, but was designed so that smaller operators to roll out their own version.

The program works by using a client/server solution developed for operators of mobile telephony. This solution allows operators to deploy Skype for a wide range of mobile phones--including featurephones and Smartphones.