Methods and devices of the invention relate to sending information over a wireless communications channel using an adaptive frame structure (AFS) having unequal error protection. Unequal error protection relates to a first data region of the frame being modulated with a first modulation and coding scheme (MCS) and a second data region of the frame being modulated with a different MCS typically with a higher modulation order. The first data region, modulated with a lower order MCS, may include critical data such as error checking and header/router information while the second region may include data payload for loss tolerant applications such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).