To transmit data in a manner to mitigate the deleterious effects of delay spread, the expected coverage areas for multiple transmissions to be sent in multiple time slots are initially determined. Cyclic prefix lengths for these transmissions are selected based on the expected coverage areas. The cyclic prefix length for each transmission may be selected from among a set of allowed cyclic prefix lengths based on the expected coverage area for that transmission, the pilot staggering used for the transmission, and so on. For example, a shorter cyclic prefix length may be selected for each local transmission, and a longer cyclic prefix length may be selected for each wide-area transmission. The selected cyclic prefix lengths may be signaled to the terminals. The transmissions are processed (e.g., OFDM modulated) based on the selected cyclic prefix lengths. The cyclic prefix lengths may be selected periodically, e.g., in each super-frame.