The technology provides a frame handler, a controller, and a frame structure design for a new radio communications system that provides backward compatibility with an existing or legacy radio communications system with lower signal bandwidth. Data to be transmitted to the new and legacy radio terminals is processed into a frame using a frame format that is compatible with both the new radio access technology system and the legacy radio access technology system so that both types of radio terminals may receive and extract data from the frame intended for each of those radio terminals. The format allows new and legacy radio terminal communications across the different bandwidths employed by the new and legacy systems.