Skype has partnered with Qatar Telecom (Qtel) to provide access to Skype software for mobile broadband users in Jordan and the Philippines, marking the first partnership between Skype and a Middle East operator. The deal will allow Qtel, which has over 68 million subscribers across 17 countries, to roll out the Skype service on its wireless broadband network. While Skype declined to provide details of the financial agreement, the partnership will help Skype expand its long-distance internet telephone service to more of the Middle East's 1.2 billion population.