Methods and apparatus for enhancing data rates in a small-cell wireless communication network. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus utilize “quasi-licensed” CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) wireless spectrum in conjunction with 3GPP wireless communication network (e.g. 4G LTE or 5GNR) for the delivery of services to a number of enhanced fixed wireless apparatus (CPEe/FWAe) at user or subscriber premises. The various CPEe/FWAe report Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) data to their respective serving base stations, and each base station maps the CQI value to a prescribed configuration (e.g., to the Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS)) adaptively for the transmission of the data to the CPEe/FWAe. In one implementation, the base stations update the CQI to MCS values adaptively according to ACK/NACK requests received from the CPEe/FWAe.