Automatic repeat request with adaptive latency

In a transmission environment, such as a wireless environment, the communication channel 23 may be subject to noise bursts 27, 28. When the transmitter 2 sends a frame 24 ( 8 ) to the receiver, it may collide with a noise burst 28. The receiver 4 is adapted to send a retransmission request, 25 ( 8 ) Original, when it receives corrupted data from transmitter 2 . The duration of the noise may be sufficient to also interfere with the request, 25 ( 8 ) Original. The receiver includes channel monitoring means to detect noise and to delay the sending of the retransmission request, 25 ( 8 ) Delayed, based on the level of the noise.