Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for self-formation and self-management of full-duplex communication networks. In an embodiment, a communication device determines whether there is an available self-assignable device-data time slot. If there is, the device selects an available time slot for outbound transmissions, updates its network-status table to associate the selected time slot with a device identifier of the communication device, and transmits outbound device data during the selected time slot of at least one ensuing frame. The device also, during each of a plurality of ensuing frames, makes a determination as to whether to transmit a maintenance packet during a shared time slot of the current frame. If the determination is made in the affirmative, the device transmits such a packet during that shared time slot. Each such packet contains at least a subset of the network-status table.