 needs to capture these benefits to the largest extent pos- sible, while still maintaining specialized access hardware as a component of the architecture. This can be accomplished by defining the detailed functions of the specialized hardware platform in an open specification, with interfaces and functions specified in a way that allows the hardware to be built by multiple manufacturers. Ideally, the specified interfaces and functionality would be suffi- ciently complete SO that hardware manufacturers would have full flexibility in designing for optimal performance at the lowest cost, and software could be written to execute on any compliant hardware implementation from any hardware supplier. In practice, it is likely to take some time before enough experience is gained to enable writing complete and open specifications that achieve this ideal. As a first step toward this ideal specification, hardware specifications may be written that include some degree of dependence on specific hardware components, such as a hardware design specification based on selected SOC or FPGA components. As experience is gained with these implementations, their interfaces and behavior can be further abstracted from the underlying integrated circuit tech- nology to drive toward the ideal state. As previously described, mobile wireless network equipment requires intensive digital signal processor (DSP) implementation, and high-performance networks will continue to demand ongoing upgrades to maximum available DSP silicon horsepower as Moore's law continues to expand those capabilities. To achieve the maximum economic benefits, the architecture needs to allow software to remain unchanged while being able to take advantage of more powerful DSP engines as they become available over time. Furthermore, the specific calculations performed by these DSP engines need to be flexible to adapt to changing services, changing network conditions, and changing stan- dards and features, over periods of time ranging from less than 1 S (for changing loads o