Apple plans to dedicate more resources to the U.S., including toward 5G and development of next-generation silicon. On Monday, the iPhone-maker announced an increased commitment to contribute $430 billion to the U.S. economy over the next five years and add 20,000 new jobs.
It represents a 20% bump from the previous 5-year target, set in 2018, of $350 billion. Apple said it has “significantly outpaced” that original goal.
For 5G innovation and silicon engineering, Apple cited “tens of billions of dollars” that will be spread across efforts nine states. Those include California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
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Apple launched its first 5G iPhones just last fall, 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.”
Its New Silicon Initiative, an effort meant to prepare students for careers in chip design and hardware engineering, was recently expanded to engineering programs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the U.S.
The 5G iPhone 12 lineup used Qualcomm modems, but Apple started work on its own 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.
In today’s announcement, Apple said the $430 billion in contributions include direct spending with U.S. suppliers, investments in data centers, capital spending in the U.S., and other efforts like Apple TV+ production.
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Plans call for $1 billion tied to a new engineering facility and campus in North Carolina. Investments in the state promise to create at least 3,000 job focused on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and software engineering.
Apple said it’s on track to meet an earlier stated target of creating 20,000 new U.S. jobs by 2023, and the upped commitment is for an additional 20,000 by 2026.
“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,” said Tim Cook, Apple CEO, in a statement. “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 in all our work, building toward a greener and more equitable future.”