An apparatus (810; 850) in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication system comprising: means (834,832,838) for receiving a first pilot via a first communication link, wherein the first pilot is an unsteered multiple- input multiple-output (MIMO) pilot sent from a first plurality of antennas and received via a second plurality of antennas, wherein the first communication link is the link from the first plurality of antennas to the second plurality of antennas; means for estimating channel quality of the first communication link based on the first pilot; means for receiving feedback information indicative of channel quality of a second communication link, wherein the second communication link is the link from the second plurality of antennas to the first plurality of antennas and wherein the first communication link and the second communication link share the same frequency band; means for estimating signal-to-noise-and-interference ratios (SNRs) of the eigenmodes based on the estimated channel quality of the first communication link and the feedback information; and means for selecting rates for eigenmodes of the second communication link based on the SNRs of the eigenmodes; characterized in that the means for estimating the SNRs of the eigenmodes comprises means for obtaining a channel response matrix for the first communication link based on the first pilot, means for decomposing the channel response matrix to obtain channel gains for the eigenmodes, and means for deriving the SNRs of the eigenmodes based on the channel gains for the eigenmodes, the estimated channel quality of the first communication link, and the feedback information. means (834,832,838) for receiving a first pilot via a first communication link, wherein the first pilot is an unsteered multiple- input multiple-output (MIMO) pilot sent from a first plurality of antennas and received via a second plurality of antennas, wherein the first communication link is the link from the first plurality of antennas to the second plurality of antennas; means for estimating channel quality of the first communication link based on the first pilot; means for receiving feedback information indicative of channel quality of a second communication link, wherein the second communication link is the link from the second plurality of antennas to the first plurality of antennas and wherein the first communication link and the second communication link share the same frequency band; means for estimating signal-to-noise-and-interference ratios (SNRs) of the eigenmodes based on the estimated channel quality of the first communication link and the feedback information; and means for selecting rates for eigenmodes of the second communication link based on the SNRs of the eigenmodes; characterized in that the means for estimating the SNRs of the eigenmodes comprises means for obtaining a channel response matrix for the first communication link based on the first pilot, means for decomposing the channel response matrix to obtain channel gains for the eigenmodes, and means for deriving the SNRs of the eigenmodes based on the channel gains for the eigenmodes, the estimated channel quality of the first communication link, and the feedback information.