A method of transmitting data on a plurality of parallel channels in a wireless communication system, comprising: obtaining channel estimates for each of the plurality of parallel channels; determining a received signal-to-noise ratio, SNR, for each of the plurality of the parallel channels based on the channel estimates; selecting a transmission mode from a set of transmission modes for each of the plurality of parallel channels to achieve a corresponding desired level of performance associated with the parallel channel according to the corresponding received SNR for the parallel channel and a set of required SNRs for the set of transmission modes, wherein the level of performance is a target packet error rate, PER, for the parallel channel; wherein the selected transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels determines a data rate for the parallel channel, and wherein the selecting further includes: determining an SNR offset for each of the plurality of parallel channels, wherein the SNR offset indicates an amount of back-off to use for computing an operating signal to noise ratio, SNR; and determining the operating SNR for each of the plurality of parallel channels based on the received SNR and the SNR offset for the parallel channel, and wherein the transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels is further selected based on the operating SNR for the parallel channel; adjusting the SNR offset for each of the plurality of parallel channels based on status of data packets received on the parallel channel or based on at least one decoder metric maintained for the parallel channel, and sending the selected transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels to a transmitting entity, wherein data for each of the plurality of parallel channels is processed at the transmitting entity in accordance with the transmission mode selected for the parallel channel, and is transmitted through each parallel channel at the data rate determined by the transmission mode selected for the parallel channel. obtaining channel estimates for each of the plurality of parallel channels; determining a received signal-to-noise ratio, SNR, for each of the plurality of the parallel channels based on the channel estimates; selecting a transmission mode from a set of transmission modes for each of the plurality of parallel channels to achieve a corresponding desired level of performance associated with the parallel channel according to the corresponding received SNR for the parallel channel and a set of required SNRs for the set of transmission modes, wherein the level of performance is a target packet error rate, PER, for the parallel channel; wherein the selected transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels determines a data rate for the parallel channel, and wherein the selecting further includes: determining an SNR offset for each of the plurality of parallel channels, wherein the SNR offset indicates an amount of back-off to use for computing an operating signal to noise ratio, SNR; and determining the operating SNR for each of the plurality of parallel channels based on the received SNR and the SNR offset for the parallel channel, and wherein the transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels is further selected based on the operating SNR for the parallel channel; determining an SNR offset for each of the plurality of parallel channels, wherein the SNR offset indicates an amount of back-off to use for computing an operating signal to noise ratio, SNR; and determining the operating SNR for each of the plurality of parallel channels based on the received SNR and the SNR offset for the parallel channel, and wherein the transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels is further selected based on the operating SNR for the parallel channel; adjusting the SNR offset for each of the plurality of parallel channels based on status of data packets received on the parallel channel or based on at least one decoder metric maintained for the parallel channel, and sending the selected transmission mode for each of the plurality of parallel channels to a transmitting entity, wherein data for each of the plurality of parallel channels is processed at the transmitting entity in accordance with the transmission mode selected for the parallel channel, and is transmitted through each parallel channel at the data rate determined by the transmission mode selected for the parallel channel.