With the introduction of WAP in Europe and I-mode in Japan, mobile terminals took their first steps out of the world of mobile telephony and into the world of mobile data. At the same time, the shift from 2nd generation to 3rd generation cellular technology has increased the potential data rate available to mobile users by tenfold as well as shifting data transport from circuit switched to packet data. These fundamental shifts in nature and the quantity of data available to mobile users has led to an explosion in the number of applications being developed for future digital terminal devices. Though these applications are diverse they share a common need for complex Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and in most cases benefit from the use of programmable DSPs (Digital Signal Processors). * Features contributions from experts who discuss the implementation and applications of programmable DSPs * Includes detailed introductions to speech coding, speech recognition, video and audio compression, biometric identification and their application for mobile communications devices * Discusses the alternative DSP technology which is attempting to unseat the programmable DSP from the heart of tomorrow's mobile terminals * Presents innovative new applications that are waiting to be discovered in the unique environment created when mobility meets signal processing The Application of Programmable DSPs in Mobile Communications provides an excellent overview for engineers moving into the area of mobile communications or entrepreneurs looking to understand state of the art in mobile terminals. It is also a must for students and professors looking for new application areas where DSP technology is being applied.