Apple Recruiting 3G Engineer For Integrated MacBook WWAN?

Rumors that Apple is planning a new integrated 3G option for its MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptop ranges have once again been ignited, after a job advert for the company sought a communications engineer responsible for wireless testing including 3G WAN.  The advert, since taken down from Apple's own pages but still available here, described an individual who would be responsible for "testing and reporting hardware, software, and device driver bugs for Communications technologies including AirPort (802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth v2.0, gigabit Ethernet, and/or 3G Wireless WAN in a detailed, timely manner."

Apple is one of the few large-name laptop manufacturers to not offer an integrated WWAN option in their machines.  The company previously confirmed that it has considered 3G, but concerns regarding locking users with a specific carrier dissuaded them.

However the relatively recent Qualcomm Gobi chipset allows for both CDMA and GSM connections, which would leave users more flexibility to use their hardware on the various networks in the US and abroad.  Given that the job is for a quality assurance tester, it suggests that development is in later stages; that could mean a 3G update may arrive in the summer MacBook refresh.

[via Apple Insider]