1. A wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) configured for use in wireless communications comprising: an iterative decoder processor having a first input and a first output; the iterative decoder processor configured to output via the first output an iteration of estimate data produced from communication signal data received via the first input; a decoder data memory configured to store the iteration of estimate data having an input coupled to the first output of the iterative decoder processor and an output; the iterative decoder processor having a second input coupled to the output of the decoder data memory for receiving the stored iteration of estimate data and a second output for outputting an iteration of estimate data; the iterative decoder processor being selectively controllable to process the stored iteration of estimate data received from the decoder data memory via the second input to produce an iteration of estimate data for output via the first or second outputs; an iteration control circuit having an input coupled to the first output of the iterative decoder processor and a signature code generator configured to generate code signatures corresponding to iterations of estimate data such that each code signature has a bit size at least twenty times smaller than an iteration of estimate data; and the iteration control circuit configured to control the iterative decoder processor to process the stored iteration of estimate data received from the decoder data memory via the second input to produce an iteration of estimate data for output via the first or second outputs based on a comparison of a generated code signature for the iteration of estimate data in a comparator.