A job posting was recently taken down from Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) site, sparking rumors that the company will develop an in-house chip to move toward 5G wireless networks.
A job listing for a “mmWave IC design engineer” was removed from the site, according to a report by Cult of Mac.
While the post never specifically mentioned anything about 5G modems, the engineer would “be responsible for providing circuit and system solutions for multi-gigabit wireless chips” and that the work would bring “functional products to hundreds of millions of customers.”
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Apple has been tangled up in legal battles regarding patents and royalties with chipmaker Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:QCOM), the company that supplies the modems for iPhones. The company also buys components from Intel Corp (NASDAQ:INTC).
The job listing has fueled speculation that Apple may cut ties with Qualcomm and Intel, opting to create its own chips.
The tech giant received an experimental license to test the millimeter wave technology necessary for 5G technology. 5G cellular wireless networking occurs along millimeter wave frequencies.
Telecomm rivals T-Mobile US Inc (NASDAQ:TMUS) and Sprint Corp (NYSE:S) announced a merger this weekend, citing their plan to build a 5G network for their customers as one of the driving forces for the collaboration. The companies expect to have a network available by 2019.
Shares of Apple rose less than a percent to US$166.37 in Tuesday pre-market trading ahead of its earnings announcement later today, while shares of Qualcomm and Intel were both down slightly.