My dream of truly mobile Skyping tiptoes ever closer, thanks to a new deal between Skype, handset maker SMC and wireless broadband operator The Cloud.

You can now make Skype calls from an SMC mobile handset in any one of The Cloud's 8,500 UK hotspots, which tend to pop up in places like airports, hotels and universities. WiFi's tentacles are spreading fast: the company is now in the process of "hotspotting" nine UK cities, including London and Manchester.

The main catch is that Skype will only be available if you're using SMC's WiFi phone, which costs about £135 plus a monthly £7 fee. But hey, it's a start – and a Cloud rep says that they're "actively working with (other) device providers to ensure these products work well in the public WiFi environment."

All of which should mean many more opportunities to use Skype on the go within a few months. I'll keep you posted!