Friday News In Brief: Huawei, Orange, SK Telecom, Telefonica, Apple, BT, Google

(via Telecoms Europe)

Huawei has expanded a deal with BT to include fiber access network solutions, which the telco will use in its £2.5 billion (€3 billion) 21C next-generation UK network.
 
Orange France is reportedly preparing to launch an own brand tablet running Google’s Android by the year end, Slashgear.com reported.
 
South Korean carrier SK Telecom will upgrade its wireless data network with a packet optical transport system from Alcatel-Lucent, paving the way for evolution to LTE.
 
Telefonica subsidiary Movistar Chile will use Nokia Siemens Network’s HSPA+ technology to boost network capacity, the vendor announced yesterday. Nokia Siemens said its infrastructure provides Movistar peak data rates of 21Mbps in the downlink, and 5.8Mbps up.
 
Apple is widely expected to launch an updated iPod and cloud-based version of iTunes at a press event on September 1. The firm normally updates the iPod in the fall, and posted a picture of a guitar sporting its logo on invitations, the Telegraph reported.
 
BT has teamed with Walt Disney Company EMEA, to launch a new video on demand service for its BT Vision customers in the UK. ABC TV On Demand will offer access to major US TV series for 99 pence (€1.21) per program.
 
A loophole in the new Google Gmail voice service allows Australian users also to get free voice calls to the US and Canada. The service is initially intended for just North American users.