Skype to get independence -- for better or worse

* Skype set for independence after eBay deal clears hurdle

* Analysts question whether new structure helps Skype

* Mobile pinpointed as crucial new area

By Sinead Carew

NEW YORK, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Now that eBay has vaulted a major hurdle in its efforts to sell Skype, the Web telephony service must prove it can make it on its own.

Since its founding six years ago, Skype has built up a roster of more than 520 million registered customers who use the free Web service for voice, video or text communication. In just the last quarter, it added 40 million users.

Still, Skype is facing some challenges. One problem is growing competition from other high-profile services, including Google Inc's (GOOG.O) Google Voice.

Another, perhaps larger, issue is that consumers are increasingly using mobile phones rather than landlines for communication. For Skype, mostly used on desktop computers, this means it must quickly make inroads into mobile.