Could you explain the difference between the "semiconductor design" and "implementing the signal processing requirements" - not sure I followed the difference between these. The standard in question (e.g., HSPDA) defines the signal processing techniques a chip needs to be able perform. You must then design a chip that implements the standard's signal processing techniques. So those two phrases seem identical to me in this context? Of course, there is a segmentation between the RF Front End (often made by a separate manufacturer) and the digital baseband ASIC (which implements the DSP techniques specifically).