User equipment (UE) includes processing circuitry, where to configure the UE for New Radio (NR) communications in an unlicensed spectrum, the processing circuitry is to decode a first configuration message received from a base station, the first configuration message including a channel quality indicator (CQI) table indication identifying a CQI table. A second configuration message is decoded, the second configuration message received separately from the first configuration message and including a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) table indication identifying an MCS table. DCI received via a PDCCH is decoded, the DCI providing a DL grant and an MCS index in the MCS table. DL information received via a PDSCH is decoded using modulation order and target code rate corresponding to the MCS index in the MCS table.