This invention relates to a flexible rate matching method, comprising the
steps of: a) receiving a continuous stream of data items at a
prespecified rate of a clock signal in a configurable data shift
register; b) storing, for each data item stored in the data shirt
register, an associated indication of validity in a configurable validity
shift register and shifting the indications of validity at said
prespecified rate; c) modifying the contents of the data shift register
and the validity shift register through puncture/repetition operations so
as to achieve a rate matching, and d) outputting valid data items at said
prespecified rate using said indications of validity stored in the
validity shift register. The invention also relates to a corresponding
flexible rate matching apparatus as well as to a computer program product
and a processor program product.