Abstract: This invention relates to a method for scheduling and synchronizing all transmissions of data in an ad hoc network. Data is transmitted on a given path from a given source of the data to a given destination. Time is divided into cycles and in each cycle each node in the path transmits data belonging to the path during the same time slot reserved for that node and path. Time slots have arbitrary sizes, are reserved via trial and error, and the time slot schedule is iteratively optimized to reduce end-to-end delay using local coordination rules between nodes. The scheduling method can be used for wireless, wired, acoustic or optical networks.