A method for reducing power consumption in wireless transmitter device, comprising: determining, by a channel monitoring module coupled to an antenna of the transmitter device, a wireless channel characteristic between the transmitter device and a receiver device, wherein determining the wireless channel characteristic includes ascertaining at least one of: a channel noise, a noise floor, or an interference level; selecting a first mode of symbol transmission in which at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is enabled at a particular transmission rate if the wireless channel characteristic is above a threshold level; characterized in selecting a second mode of symbol transmission in which at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is disabled relative to the first mode of symbol transmission and at the same particular transmission rate if the wireless channel characteristic is below the threshold level, wherein: when time spreading is enabled in the first mode, time spreading is disabled in the second mode, when frequency spreading is enabled in the first mode, frequency spreading is disabled in the second mode, when time spreading and frequency spreading is enabled in the first mode, at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is disabled in the second mode; if the second mode is selected: sending an indicator to the receiver device indicating the second mode of symbol transmission, and after sending the indicator, transmitting a symbol in accordance with the second mode of symbol transmission. determining, by a channel monitoring module coupled to an antenna of the transmitter device, a wireless channel characteristic between the transmitter device and a receiver device, wherein determining the wireless channel characteristic includes ascertaining at least one of: a channel noise, a noise floor, or an interference level; selecting a first mode of symbol transmission in which at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is enabled at a particular transmission rate if the wireless channel characteristic is above a threshold level; characterized in selecting a second mode of symbol transmission in which at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is disabled relative to the first mode of symbol transmission and at the same particular transmission rate if the wireless channel characteristic is below the threshold level, wherein: when time spreading is enabled in the first mode, time spreading is disabled in the second mode, when frequency spreading is enabled in the first mode, frequency spreading is disabled in the second mode, when time spreading and frequency spreading is enabled in the first mode, at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is disabled in the second mode; if the second mode is selected: sending an indicator to the receiver device indicating the second mode of symbol transmission, and after sending the indicator, transmitting a symbol in accordance with the second mode of symbol transmission. when time spreading is enabled in the first mode, time spreading is disabled in the second mode, when frequency spreading is enabled in the first mode, frequency spreading is disabled in the second mode, when time spreading and frequency spreading is enabled in the first mode, at least one of time spreading and frequency spreading is disabled in the second mode; if the second mode is selected: sending an indicator to the receiver device indicating the second mode of symbol transmission, and after sending the indicator, transmitting a symbol in accordance with the second mode of symbol transmission. sending an indicator to the receiver device indicating the second mode of symbol transmission, and after sending the indicator, transmitting a symbol in accordance with the second mode of symbol transmission.