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Electronics retail chain Radioshack and broadband phone sensation Skype (recently acquired by Ebay) signed an agreement today, for Radioshack to distribute Skype certified hardware and software in 3500 of its stores in the US.

Skype, a peer to peer VoIP service provider, will gain exposure in the large late-adopters crowd among the US shoppers. With live salespersons explaining what VoIP and Skype is all about, the deal will bring the technology one step closer to people who prefer to shop in brick-and-mortar shops.

Radioshack, with its 7000 outlets in the US, is one of the most recognized brands in electronics retail in America.

“Skype is looking at innovative retail channels for distribution, and with 94 percent of the U.S. population living or working within five minutes of a RadioShack, we see them as an ideal partner through which to offer consumers access to Skype accessories” said Saul Klein, Skype’s vice president of marketing.

Skype, which has signed up 20 to 30 times more users than other broadband phone alternatives, offers software to allow users to call other computers or phones. It works like a music file-sharing service and needs no central network switches as Vonage does, making it cheaper to operate.

Radioshack provides a missing link by supplying phone headsets or handsets that most consumers will require to make calls, which cost only a few cents per minute or less for long-distance or international calling.