Link adaptation in wireless networks

A method, comprising:

• determining a collision-failure probability that a first unit will not receive first data transmitted over a wireless channel due to an overlapping transmission of second data over the channel;
• determining a channel-failure probability that the first unit will not receive the first data due to a characteristic of the channel;
• and
• selecting in response to the collision- and channel-failure probabilities a value for a data-transmission parameter for transmitting data to the first unit.

A communication unit, comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a first module operable
• to determine a collision-failure probability that a remote unit will not receive first data transmitted from the transmitter over a wireless channel due to an overlapping transmission of second data over the channel, and
• to determine a channel-failure probability that the remote unit will not receive the first data due to a characteristic of the channel;
• and
• a second module operable to select in response to the collision- and channel-failure probabilities a value for a data-transmission parameter according to which the transmitter transmits data to the remote unit.

A computer-readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor:

• to determine a collision-failure probability that a first unit will not receive first data transmitted over a wireless channel due to an overlapping transmission of second data over the channel;
• to determine a channel-failure probability that the first unit will not receive the first data due to a characteristic of the channel;
• and
• to select in response to the collision- and channel-failure probabilities a value for a data-transmission parameter for transmitting data to the first unit.