A method of operating a node of a Long Term Evolution, LTE, radio access network, the method comprising: transmitting first and second data blocks from the radio access network over respective first and second multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, layers of a MIMO wireless channel to a wireless terminal during a first transmission time interval, TTI; responsive to receiving a negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block, transmitting (2511, 2603) downlink signaling for a second TTI from the radio access network to the wireless terminal wherein the downlink signaling includes a discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for the first MIMO layer and a retransmission data indicator for the second MIMO layer; and responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block, retransmitting (2515, 2605) the second data block from the radio access network over the second MIMO layer to the wireless terminal during a second TTI, wherein transmitting the first and second data blocks comprises transmitting the first and second data blocks in accordance with a first MIMO rank, transmitting the downlink signaling comprises transmitting the downlink signaling responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block and responsive to receiving a preference for a second MIMO rank less than the first rank from the wireless terminal, and retransmitting the second data block comprises retransmitting the second data block during the second TTI in accordance with the first MIMO rank responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block and responsive to receiving the preference for the second MIMO rank less than the first MIMO rank, wherein transmitting the downlink signaling comprises transmitting the downlink signaling responsive to receiving a negative acknowledgment, NACK, for the first data block, responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block, and responsive to receiving the preference for the second MIMO rank less than the first rank. transmitting first and second data blocks from the radio access network over respective first and second multiple-input-multiple-output, MIMO, layers of a MIMO wireless channel to a wireless terminal during a first transmission time interval, TTI; responsive to receiving a negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block, transmitting (2511, 2603) downlink signaling for a second TTI from the radio access network to the wireless terminal wherein the downlink signaling includes a discontinuous transmission, DTX, indicator for the first MIMO layer and a retransmission data indicator for the second MIMO layer; and responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block, retransmitting (2515, 2605) the second data block from the radio access network over the second MIMO layer to the wireless terminal during a second TTI, wherein transmitting the first and second data blocks comprises transmitting the first and second data blocks in accordance with a first MIMO rank, transmitting the downlink signaling comprises transmitting the downlink signaling responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block and responsive to receiving a preference for a second MIMO rank less than the first rank from the wireless terminal, and retransmitting the second data block comprises retransmitting the second data block during the second TTI in accordance with the first MIMO rank responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block and responsive to receiving the preference for the second MIMO rank less than the first MIMO rank, wherein transmitting the downlink signaling comprises transmitting the downlink signaling responsive to receiving a negative acknowledgment, NACK, for the first data block, responsive to receiving the negative acknowledgment, NACK, message for the second data block, and responsive to receiving the preference for the second MIMO rank less than the first rank.