A method of determining modulation control information and a reference signal design to be used by a transmitter node when generating a transmit signal to transmit from a transmitter of the transmitter node over a channel of a wireless link to a recipient node, said reference signal design being a pilot signal design identifying at least locations at which pilots are to be included within the transmit signal, the modulation control information being used by the transmitter node to convert source data into an information bearing signal, and the information bearing signal being combined with a reference signal conforming to the reference signal design in order to produce said transmit signal, the method comprising: a) selecting a candidate reference signal design from a plurality of candidate reference signal designs; b) determining channel state information for said channel, said channel state information comprising a channel estimate providing an indication of how channel effects will modify the transmit signal as it is transmitted over said channel, and the channel state information further comprising a channel estimation error and a noise estimate of noise experienced within said channel, the channel estimation error taking the form of a channel estimation error covariance and the noise estimate taking the form of a measurement noise covariance, and at least the channel estimation error being determined based on said selected candidate reference signal design; c) determining, from the channel state information, signal to noise ratio information for said channel; d) for each of a plurality of candidate modulation control information, using the signal to noise ratio information to determine a quality indication for said channel; e) repeating said steps (a) to (d) for each candidate reference signal design in said plurality; f) selecting a winning quality indication from the determined quality indications; and g) outputting to the transmitting node the combination of candidate reference signal design and candidate modulation control information associated with the winning quality indication. a) selecting a candidate reference signal design from a plurality of candidate reference signal designs; b) determining channel state information for said channel, said channel state information comprising a channel estimate providing an indication of how channel effects will modify the transmit signal as it is transmitted over said channel, and the channel state information further comprising a channel estimation error and a noise estimate of noise experienced within said channel, the channel estimation error taking the form of a channel estimation error covariance and the noise estimate taking the form of a measurement noise covariance, and at least the channel estimation error being determined based on said selected candidate reference signal design; c) determining, from the channel state information, signal to noise ratio information for said channel; d) for each of a plurality of candidate modulation control information, using the signal to noise ratio information to determine a quality indication for said channel; e) repeating said steps (a) to (d) for each candidate reference signal design in said plurality; f) selecting a winning quality indication from the determined quality indications; and g) outputting to the transmitting node the combination of candidate reference signal design and candidate modulation control information associated with the winning quality indication.