A method, system and computer program for transmitting at least two payloads in a downstream traffic phase of a time-division duplex (TDD) cycle with a single preamble from a headend followed by concatenated payloads without intervening preambles, whereby the payloads are ranked by increasing modulation profiles. The preamble, and concatenated and ordered set of payloads are then transmitted to two or more predetermined customer premise equipments (CPEs).