US operator Verizon Wireless is to further push its Skype offering by expanding the number of handsets supporting the service beyond smartphones. Currently available on 12 smartphones (from the likes of RIM, Motorola and HTC), ‘Skype mobile’ will be offered on “several 3G multimedia phones” later this year. Although the operator did not disclose which devices would support the service, these phones are not as advanced as smartphones but offer a number of advanced features without an established operating system. Examples include Samsung’s Reality, LG’s en V Touch and Nokia’s 7705 Twist. Verizon will also offer Skype mobile in Korean and simple Chinese, in addition to the current Spanish and English formats.

Verizon’s move indicates it is taking the VoIP partnership with Skype, initially announced at the GSMA Mobile World Congress last February, seriously. Skype-to-Skype calls are unlimited and free when initiated with Skype mobile from a compatible Verizon device with a data plan to any of Skype’s 580 million global users. The support of VoIP by the largest US mobile operator is also reflective of a change in attitude among mobile operators who have historically been hostile towards VoIP providers. Verizon’s strategy was explored recently by a MBB blog posting; read the blog here.