A method of operating a wireless communication system, the method comprising: making a determination which of plural transmission modes is to be a selected transmission mode for transmitting plural entities from a network coding node over a radio interface, the plural transmission modes including at least two of the following: 1) an analog network-coded mode wherein plural input entities provided to the network coding node are network-combined by signal interference at a signal level at the network coding node into one analog network-combined output entity; 2) a digital network-coded mode wherein the plural input entities provided to the network coding node are network-combined by operation at a bit level at the network coding node into one or plural digital network-combined output entities; 3) a symbol-level network-coded mode wherein the plural input entities are already modulated and network-coding is performed on the already-modulated plural input entities to provide one or plural symbol-level network-combined output entities; and 4) a separate transmission mode wherein the plural input entities provided to the network coding node leave the network coding node as respective plural uncombined output entities; at the network coding node, in accordance with the determination, implementing the selected transmission mode with respect to the plural input entities, wherein the method further comprises making the determination by selecting, for each candidate transmission mode, an expression for sum achievable rate; and comparing a resulting evaluation for each selected expression with an evaluation of an expression of a competing candidate transmission mode, and characterized in that the selecting depends on factors including whether an end-to-end, E2E, analysis or non-end-to- end, non-E2E, analysis is utilized, wherein the E2E analysis chooses the transmission mode by taking into account the transmissions from end-nodes towards a relaying node and the transmission from the relaying node towards end-users, and wherein the non-E2E analysis chooses the transmission mode by taking into account only the transmission from the relaying node towards the end-users. making a determination which of plural transmission modes is to be a selected transmission mode for transmitting plural entities from a network coding node over a radio interface, the plural transmission modes including at least two of the following: 1) an analog network-coded mode wherein plural input entities provided to the network coding node are network-combined by signal interference at a signal level at the network coding node into one analog network-combined output entity; 2) a digital network-coded mode wherein the plural input entities provided to the network coding node are network-combined by operation at a bit level at the network coding node into one or plural digital network-combined output entities; 3) a symbol-level network-coded mode wherein the plural input entities are already modulated and network-coding is performed on the already-modulated plural input entities to provide one or plural symbol-level network-combined output entities; and 4) a separate transmission mode wherein the plural input entities provided to the network coding node leave the network coding node as respective plural uncombined output entities; 1) an analog network-coded mode wherein plural input entities provided to the network coding node are network-combined by signal interference at a signal level at the network coding node into one analog network-combined output entity; 2) a digital network-coded mode wherein the plural input entities provided to the network coding node are network-combined by operation at a bit level at the network coding node into one or plural digital network-combined output entities; 3) a symbol-level network-coded mode wherein the plural input entities are already modulated and network-coding is performed on the already-modulated plural input entities to provide one or plural symbol-level network-combined output entities; and 4) a separate transmission mode wherein the plural input entities provided to the network coding node leave the network coding node as respective plural uncombined output entities; at the network coding node, in accordance with the determination, implementing the selected transmission mode with respect to the plural input entities, wherein the method further comprises making the determination by selecting, for each candidate transmission mode, an expression for sum achievable rate; and comparing a resulting evaluation for each selected expression with an evaluation of an expression of a competing candidate transmission mode, and characterized in that the selecting depends on factors including whether an end-to-end, E2E, analysis or non-end-to- end, non-E2E, analysis is utilized, wherein the E2E analysis chooses the transmission mode by taking into account the transmissions from end-nodes towards a relaying node and the transmission from the relaying node towards end-users, and wherein the non-E2E analysis chooses the transmission mode by taking into account only the transmission from the relaying node towards the end-users.