Abstract Link Adaptation is a radio resource management technique that assesses the channel conditions and selects a transport mode, from a set of possible options, which is optimised for these conditions according to a predefined criterion. The optimum transport mode is commonly determined so as to maximise the throughput. Although this approach may be appropriate for best-effort services, its suitability for multimedia services, usually characterised by tight delay and error performance constraints, has been questioned. As a result, a number of alternative algorithms have been proposed in the literature. In this context, this paper presents and evaluates in a dynamic radio environment several Link Adaptation algorithms designed to enhance the provision of delay- and error-sensitive multimedia packet-data services over wireless systems. The obtained results demonstrate that significant improvements in terms of throughput, transmission delay, error performance and operation of Link A...