A system comprising: an access point configured for receiving signals, and configured for transmitting signals comprising contention frames (121A-121C,127), contention grants, and data frames; and one or more remotes comprising a first remote configured for receiving signals, and configured for transmitting signals comprising contention requests and data frames; wherein the first remote having a pending data frame is configured for transmitting one of the contention requests to the access point within a selected period of time after receiving one of the contention frames from the access point; wherein the access point is configured for tallying a number of contention requests received during the contention period, and, if the number of contention requests as tallied by the access point is above a selected threshold transmitting a subsequent contention frame that defines a subsequent contention period; wherein the first remote having a pending data frame is configured to select one of the slots in which to transmit a contention request; wherein the access point is configured such that the contention frames (121A-121C,127) comprise information on whether the subsequent contention period is at an immediate period of time or slotted into two or more slotted periods of time, and a first remote is configured for transmitting a contention request within either an immediate period of time or a selected slotted period of time after receiving the contention frame to correspond to the information in the contention frame; and wherein the subsequent contention frame comprises at least one of a larger number of slots than one of the contention frames and a larger slot size than said one of the contention frames, in response to a number of slots selected by the one or more remotes in said one of the contention frames exceeding the selected threshold. an access point configured for receiving signals, and configured for transmitting signals comprising contention frames (121A-121C,127), contention grants, and data frames; and one or more remotes comprising a first remote configured for receiving signals, and configured for transmitting signals comprising contention requests and data frames; wherein the first remote having a pending data frame is configured for transmitting one of the contention requests to the access point within a selected period of time after receiving one of the contention frames from the access point; wherein the access point is configured for tallying a number of contention requests received during the contention period, and, if the number of contention requests as tallied by the access point is above a selected threshold transmitting a subsequent contention frame that defines a subsequent contention period; wherein the first remote having a pending data frame is configured to select one of the slots in which to transmit a contention request; wherein the access point is configured such that the contention frames (121A-121C,127) comprise information on whether the subsequent contention period is at an immediate period of time or slotted into two or more slotted periods of time, and a first remote is configured for transmitting a contention request within either an immediate period of time or a selected slotted period of time after receiving the contention frame to correspond to the information in the contention frame; and wherein the subsequent contention frame comprises at least one of a larger number of slots than one of the contention frames and a larger slot size than said one of the contention frames, in response to a number of slots selected by the one or more remotes in said one of the contention frames exceeding the selected threshold.