System and method for enabling a radio node to selectably function as a router in a wireless communications network

A system and method for enabling a mobile user terminal in an ad-hoc packet-switched wireless communications network to selectably operate as a router for other mobile user terminals in the network based on certain criteria. The user terminal comprises a transceiver and a controller. The transceiver is adapted to transmit wireless communications data, such as packetized data, addressed to a destination user terminal, to at least one other user terminal for routing by that other user terminal to the destination user terminal. The controller is adapted to prevent the transceiver from transmitting the wireless communications data to that particular other user terminal based on routing data pertaining to an ability of the other user terminal to route said wireless communications data to the destination user terminal. The user terminal further includes a memory for storing the routing data received from the other user terminal, for example, in the form of routing table information, or from the wireless communications network.