Apple plans to contribute $430 billion to the U.S. economy and this includes deploying 5G and developing next-generation silicon. Over the week the iPhone-maker announced that it will create additional 20,000 new jobs and stimulate healthy economic growth.
Apple’s plans represent a 20% bump from the previous 5-year target, set in 2018, of $350 billion which will “significantly outpaced” its original goal.
For 5G innovation and silicon engineering, Apple cited “tens of billions of dollars” that will be spread across nine states. Those include California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
It launched its first 5G iPhones and a new 5G-capable iPad Pro just last week. The smartphone giant called chip engineering and 5G technology “two pivotal fields shaping the future of next-generation consumer electronics.”
The recent engineering programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the U.S. is its new Silicon initiative that is targeted towards preparing students for careers in chip design and hardware engineering.
The 5G iPhone 12 lineup used Qualcomm modems, but Apple started work on its in-house cellular chipsets in December. Apple had been using Intel before settling legal disputes with Qualcomm, and soon after in 2019 the device-maker acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business in a $1 billion deal.
A breakdown of the $430 billion contributions to the US economy includes investments in data centres, capital spending in the U.S., and other efforts like Apple TV production.
$1 billion will be channelled towards the new engineering facility and campus in North Carolina where students will be trained on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and software engineering.
According to Tim Cook, Apple CEO, said that “At this moment of recovery and rebuilding, Apple is doubling down on our commitment to US innovation and manufacturing with a generational investment reaching communities across all 50 states,”
“We’re creating jobs in cutting-edge fields — from 5G to silicon engineering to artificial intelligence — investing in the next generation of innovative new businesses, and all our work, building toward a greener and more equitable future.”
