Apple just unveiled its iPhone for 5G last fall, but it’s already gearing up for the next “G,” posting job opportunities for 6G development.
This week’s job postings include wireless research systems engineers in San Diego and Silicon Valley.
“We are looking for expert and highly self-motivated communication systems engineers who have a deep understanding of wireless technology used in state of the art indoor and outdoor wireless networks,” the job post states.
Apple is using 5G modems designed by Qualcomm after settling a contentious lawsuit with the San Diego-based chip company. But Bloomberg, which spotted the job posts, noted that the listings are another sign of Apple’s continued push into developing more wireless technology in-house and a desire to be on the cutting edge for 6G.
GHz and THz
Apple promises the successful applicants will be at the center of a cutting-edge research group responsible for creating next generation disruptive radio access technologies over the next decade.
Qualifications include a good understanding of current cellular or Wi-Fi communication standards and a deep understanding of multi-antenna techniques and procedures such as Massive MIMO, millimeter wave (mmWave) beamforming and beam acquisition, as well as mmWave mesh networks. “Preferred” qualifications include familiarity with edge computing and strong exposure to wireless system design and channel sounder design in very high frequencies, including GHz and THz.
3GPP is still hammering out specifics when it comes to specifications for 5G, but academics, researchers and others point out that work on the next generation of wireless usually starts at least 10 years before the debut of the next iteration.
RELATED: NYU Wireless director looks at 6G, beyond Massive MIMO
Last year, the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) announced Apple and Google were among those joining its Next G Alliance initiative looking to advance North American leadership in 6G and beyond. Other new members at the time were Charter, Cisco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Intel, Keysight Technologies, LG Electronics, Mavenir, MITRE and VMware.
Founding members of the group are AT&T, T-Mobile, UScellular and Verizon, as well as Bell Canada, Ciena, Ericsson, Facebook, InterDigital, JMA Wireless, Microsoft, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies, Samsung, TELUS and Telnyx.
Part of the group’s mission is to develop a 6G national roadmap that positions North America as the global leader in R&D, standardization, manufacturing and adoption of next-gen technologies.