An apparatus for adaptive channel estimation comprising: means for deriving channel estimates for symbol period k, ŝ k, for a wireless channel based on received pilot symbols for symbol period k -1, y k -1 and a single estimation parameter L k-1, such that ŝ k = (1 - L k -1) · ŝ k -1 + L k -1 · y k -1; wherein the single estimation parameter L k-1 is L k -1 = a k- 1 - d k -1, wherein a k -1 and d k -1 are real valued coefficients of a Wold decomposition for an innovations representation model of the received pilot symbol ŷ k in symbol period k expanded using the Wold decomposition which leads to a predicted value ŷ k = a k -1 ŷ k -1 + L k -1 · e k -1, wherein ŷ k = ŝ k; and wherein updating channel estimates for symbol period k+ 1 comprises means (310, 320, 330, 340) for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1, wherein the means for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1 while fixing a k -1 = 1 comprises means for determining prediction errors e k based on the received pilot symbols for symbol period k, y k, as e k = y k - ŝ k; means for deriving error gradients ψ k ( θ k) for current symbol period k based on the prediction errors for a preceding symbol period e k -1, and based on an error gradient ψ k -1 ( θ k -1) for the preceding symbol period with ψ k ( θ k) = (1- L k -1)· ψ k -1 ( θ k -1)+ e k -1, wherein θ k = [ a k -1 L k -1] T, and ψ k ( θ k) is the negative of the gradient of e k (θ k), wherein e k ( θ k) is a prediction error as a function of θ k such that e k ( θ k) = y k - ŝ k ( θ k) with ŝ k = φ k ( θ k) ·θ k and φ k ( θ k) = [ ŝ k -1 e k -1]; means for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1 as L k for symbol period k based on the error gradients ψ k ( θ k) and the prediction errors e k, and the single estimation parameter L k -1 for the preceding symbol period with L k temp = L k − 1 + 2 ⋅ μ ⋅ 1 − λ ⋅ e k ⋅ ψ k θ k and L k = { L k temp if 1 − L k temp < 1 L k − 1 otherwise, wherein μ is a step size, and 0 < λ < 1 is a weighting factor. means for deriving channel estimates for symbol period k, ŝ k, for a wireless channel based on received pilot symbols for symbol period k -1, y k -1 and a single estimation parameter L k-1, such that ŝ k = (1 - L k -1) · ŝ k -1 + L k -1 · y k -1; wherein the single estimation parameter L k-1 is L k -1 = a k- 1 - d k -1, wherein a k -1 and d k -1 are real valued coefficients of a Wold decomposition for an innovations representation model of the received pilot symbol ŷ k in symbol period k expanded using the Wold decomposition which leads to a predicted value ŷ k = a k -1 ŷ k -1 + L k -1 · e k -1, wherein ŷ k = ŝ k; and wherein updating channel estimates for symbol period k+ 1 comprises means (310, 320, 330, 340) for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1, wherein the means for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1 while fixing a k -1 = 1 comprises means for determining prediction errors e k based on the received pilot symbols for symbol period k, y k, as e k = y k - ŝ k; means for deriving error gradients ψ k ( θ k) for current symbol period k based on the prediction errors for a preceding symbol period e k -1, and based on an error gradient ψ k -1 ( θ k -1) for the preceding symbol period with ψ k ( θ k) = (1- L k -1)· ψ k -1 ( θ k -1)+ e k -1, wherein θ k = [ a k -1 L k -1] T, and ψ k ( θ k) is the negative of the gradient of e k (θ k), wherein e k ( θ k) is a prediction error as a function of θ k such that e k ( θ k) = y k - ŝ k ( θ k) with ŝ k = φ k ( θ k) ·θ k and φ k ( θ k) = [ ŝ k -1 e k -1]; means for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1 as L k for symbol period k based on the error gradients ψ k ( θ k) and the prediction errors e k, and the single estimation parameter L k -1 for the preceding symbol period with L k temp = L k − 1 + 2 ⋅ μ ⋅ 1 − λ ⋅ e k ⋅ ψ k θ k and L k = { L k temp if 1 − L k temp < 1 L k − 1 otherwise, wherein μ is a step size, and 0 < λ < 1 is a weighting factor. means (310, 320, 330, 340) for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1, wherein the means for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1 while fixing a k -1 = 1 comprises means for determining prediction errors e k based on the received pilot symbols for symbol period k, y k, as e k = y k - ŝ k; means for deriving error gradients ψ k ( θ k) for current symbol period k based on the prediction errors for a preceding symbol period e k -1, and based on an error gradient ψ k -1 ( θ k -1) for the preceding symbol period with ψ k ( θ k) = (1- L k -1)· ψ k -1 ( θ k -1)+ e k -1, wherein θ k = [ a k -1 L k -1] T, and ψ k ( θ k) is the negative of the gradient of e k (θ k), wherein e k ( θ k) is a prediction error as a function of θ k such that e k ( θ k) = y k - ŝ k ( θ k) with ŝ k = φ k ( θ k) ·θ k and φ k ( θ k) = [ ŝ k -1 e k -1]; means for updating the single estimation parameter L k -1 as L k for symbol period k based on the error gradients ψ k ( θ k) and the prediction errors e k, and the single estimation parameter L k -1 for the preceding symbol period with L k temp = L k − 1 + 2 ⋅ μ ⋅ 1 − λ ⋅ e k ⋅ ψ k θ k and L k = { L k temp if 1 − L k temp < 1 L k − 1 otherwise, wherein μ is a step size, and 0 < λ < 1 is a weighting factor.