A first transceiver (200) sends (102) a predetermined number of blocks of data to a second transceiver, and records (104) on which of a plurality of sub-carriers each of the blocks of data is sent. The first transceiver receives (106) from the second transceiver a list of the blocks of data that were received with errors, and calculates (108) from the list a plurality of error rates corresponding to the plurality of sub-carriers. The first transceiver then determines (110) the SQE for each of the plurality of sub-carriers from the plurality of error rates, and adjusts (112) the data rate in accordance with the SQE determined for each of the plurality of sub-carriers. These processes can be implemented as a method that is facilitated by a software program.