A method for generating a channel quality indicator (CQI) in a mobile communication system is presented. The method includes grouping a number of subcarriers to form at least one channel quality indicator subband for generating a channel quality indicator, and generating a channel quality indicator in each channel quality indicator subband, wherein a size of each channel quality indicator subband is dependent on a system bandwidth value and is an integer multiple of a downlink frequency resource unit size, wherein the downlink frequency resource unit size is prescribed according to the system bandwidth value.