(a) participating with a first wireless device in a wireless communications network of a plurality of wireless devices including the first wireless device and a plurality of other wireless devices, having a shared transmission medium for the exchange of communications traffic between the wireless devices in the network, by each device in the network transmitting and receiving beacon transmissions that maintain coordination between the plurality of wireless devices in the wireless communication network and provide information regarding resource allocations for the shared transmission medium;

(b) determining at the first wireless device a value for at least one interference condition in the shared transmission medium of the wireless communications network between said first wireless device and one of said other wireless devices in the network, wherein the value of the interference condition is determined at least partly based on the received beacon transmissions at the first wireless device; and

(c) scheduling with the first wireless device a planned transmission to said one of said other wireless devices in the network, wherein said scheduling step employs a time-overlapping access technique for the planned transmission when the value for the at least one interference condition is less than a predetermined threshold and employs a non-concurrent access technique for the planned transmission when the value for the at least one interference condition is greater than or equal to the predetermined threshold.