A method is disclosed for digital data transmission using higher order modulation schemes, wherein a plurality of bits is mapped to bit positions of a symbol and the transmission has different error probabilities for at least two out of said bit positions. A data bit is mapped to a bit position in a first modulation scheme and transmitted in a symbol on the mapped bit position of the first modulation scheme. When a request is received from a receiver, for re-transmission of a data block containing this data bit, a decision is made about a re-transmission of said bit, based on a reliability of the bit position in the first transmission, and if it is decided to retransmit the bit, the data bit is mapped to a bit position of a second modulation scheme and retransmitted in a symbol on the mapped bit position of the second modulation scheme.