A method (600) of communicating a plurality of data bits over L diversity channels uses a constellation set comprising a plurality (L) of M-point quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) constellations corresponding to the L diversity channels. The constellations do not exhibit overlapping data points, and provide full diversity. The method includes mapping (650) k*L data bits to L QAM transmission symbols in the L QAM constellation sets, and transmitting (660) the L QAM symbols where M=2k*L. Each of each of the k*L data bits is directly mapped into all of the L QAM symbols of the QAM constellation set, and for all combinations of k*L bits, changing a value of one of k*L data bits changes all of the L symbols.