A first vehicle-based communication device for distributing content in a vehicle-based wireless network, the first vehicle-based communication device residing in a first vehicle that is a member of a plurality of vehicles, the vehicle-based communication device having a first wireless network connection configured to communicate with other ones of the plurality of vehicles over a Wi-Fi network and a second wireless network connection configured to communicate with a content provider over a cellular network, the first vehicle-based communication device including a first transceiver that communicates on the Wi-Fi network, wherein the first vehicle-based communication device is configured to: receive, via the cellular network, a content item from the content distributor, wherein the content item is decomposed into a plurality of portions (A1, A2, A3); and serially transmit with a broadcast transmission, via a wireless channel of the Wi-Fi network, the plurality of portions of the content item, beginning with a first portion of the content item, wherein the first portion is randomly selected by the first vehicle-based communication device, and wherein the plurality of portions of the content item are received at a second vehicle-based communication device in a second vehicle that is a member of the plurality of vehicles; and characterized in that the first vehicle-based communication device is further configured to: determine a utilization level for the wireless channel of the Wi-Fi network used to communicate with other vehicle-based communication devices in the network; when the utilization level is below a threshold level, increase transmission data rate of the first transceiver, thereby decreasing the effective transmission range of the wireless transceiver; when the utilization level is above a threshold level, decrease the transmission data rate of the first transceiver thereby increasing the effective transmission range of the wireless transceiver; and transmit, at the increased or decreased transmission data rate, the portions of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device residing in the second vehicle. wherein the first vehicle-based communication device is configured to: receive, via the cellular network, a content item from the content distributor, wherein the content item is decomposed into a plurality of portions (A1, A2, A3); and serially transmit with a broadcast transmission, via a wireless channel of the Wi-Fi network, the plurality of portions of the content item, beginning with a first portion of the content item, wherein the first portion is randomly selected by the first vehicle-based communication device, and wherein the plurality of portions of the content item are received at a second vehicle-based communication device in a second vehicle that is a member of the plurality of vehicles; receive, via the cellular network, a content item from the content distributor, wherein the content item is decomposed into a plurality of portions (A1, A2, A3); and serially transmit with a broadcast transmission, via a wireless channel of the Wi-Fi network, the plurality of portions of the content item, beginning with a first portion of the content item, wherein the first portion is randomly selected by the first vehicle-based communication device, and wherein the plurality of portions of the content item are received at a second vehicle-based communication device in a second vehicle that is a member of the plurality of vehicles; and characterized in that the first vehicle-based communication device is further configured to: determine a utilization level for the wireless channel of the Wi-Fi network used to communicate with other vehicle-based communication devices in the network; when the utilization level is below a threshold level, increase transmission data rate of the first transceiver, thereby decreasing the effective transmission range of the wireless transceiver; when the utilization level is above a threshold level, decrease the transmission data rate of the first transceiver thereby increasing the effective transmission range of the wireless transceiver; and transmit, at the increased or decreased transmission data rate, the portions of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device residing in the second vehicle. determine a utilization level for the wireless channel of the Wi-Fi network used to communicate with other vehicle-based communication devices in the network; when the utilization level is below a threshold level, increase transmission data rate of the first transceiver, thereby decreasing the effective transmission range of the wireless transceiver; when the utilization level is above a threshold level, decrease the transmission data rate of the first transceiver thereby increasing the effective transmission range of the wireless transceiver; and transmit, at the increased or decreased transmission data rate, the portions of the content item to the second vehicle-based communication device residing in the second vehicle.