Apple is in talks to buy a key part of Intel’s smartphone modem business—its German operations—in a deal that could boost the iPhone maker’s plans to internally develop a modem for its devices, according to four people briefed on the discussions.

The talks come as Intel considers selling its struggling modem business in pieces. Apple is focusing on one of the strongest pieces of the modem business. While Intel’s modem group is spread across the world, its foundation is in Germany, where the chip maker Infineon, whose modem operations Intel bought in 2011 for $1.4 billion, is based. Any deal with Intel for the business would likely send hundreds of modem engineers to Apple.