A base station for use in a wireless network that communicates with wireless mobile stations. The base station comprises: 1) a transceiver for transmitting forward channel data to a first mobile station via a beam-forming antenna array; and 2) a beam-forming circuit for maximizing data throughput to the first mobile station by jointly optimizing i) selection of a beam for transmitting the forward channel data to the first mobile station, ii) a level of Walsh code multiplexing of the forward channel data, and iii) a modulation scheme used to transmit the forward channel data.