A method operational on a first mobile wireless terminal (3306; 3406), comprising: obtaining a channel gain for a peer-to-peer communication channel between the first mobile wireless terminal (3306; 3406) and a second wireless terminal, wherein the communication channel is shared among a plurality of other wireless terminals according to a decentralized link scheduling scheme; determining a transmit power of the first mobile wireless terminal as a function of the channel gain; performing link scheduling for a communication link between the first mobile wireless terminal (3306; 3406) and the second wireless terminal over the communication channel based on the determined transmit power, wherein performing link scheduling further includes: receiving a traffic request response signal (3312'; 3412b) from a neighboring third wireless terminal (3304; 3404), the traffic request response signal destined for a fourth wireless terminal (3302; 3402) in communication with the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404), wherein the transmit power of the traffic request response signal is inversely proportional to the power received at the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404) in a traffic request transmitted by the fourth wireless terminal; and determining whether to transmit a pilot and a data traffic signal based on a function of the received power of the traffic request response signal (3312'; 3412b) from the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404) and the determined transmit power of the first wireless terminal, wherein said function corresponds to an expected signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR perceived at the third wireless terminal. obtaining a channel gain for a peer-to-peer communication channel between the first mobile wireless terminal (3306; 3406) and a second wireless terminal, wherein the communication channel is shared among a plurality of other wireless terminals according to a decentralized link scheduling scheme; determining a transmit power of the first mobile wireless terminal as a function of the channel gain; performing link scheduling for a communication link between the first mobile wireless terminal (3306; 3406) and the second wireless terminal over the communication channel based on the determined transmit power, wherein performing link scheduling further includes: receiving a traffic request response signal (3312'; 3412b) from a neighboring third wireless terminal (3304; 3404), the traffic request response signal destined for a fourth wireless terminal (3302; 3402) in communication with the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404), wherein the transmit power of the traffic request response signal is inversely proportional to the power received at the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404) in a traffic request transmitted by the fourth wireless terminal; and determining whether to transmit a pilot and a data traffic signal based on a function of the received power of the traffic request response signal (3312'; 3412b) from the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404) and the determined transmit power of the first wireless terminal, wherein said function corresponds to an expected signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR perceived at the third wireless terminal. receiving a traffic request response signal (3312'; 3412b) from a neighboring third wireless terminal (3304; 3404), the traffic request response signal destined for a fourth wireless terminal (3302; 3402) in communication with the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404), wherein the transmit power of the traffic request response signal is inversely proportional to the power received at the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404) in a traffic request transmitted by the fourth wireless terminal; and determining whether to transmit a pilot and a data traffic signal based on a function of the received power of the traffic request response signal (3312'; 3412b) from the third wireless terminal (3304; 3404) and the determined transmit power of the first wireless terminal, wherein said function corresponds to an expected signal to interference plus noise ratio, SINR perceived at the third wireless terminal.