In a network, where a packet is to be transmitted on a channel to a communication device with a time offset between a shared control channel and a shared data channel, the packets can be ordered. A margin (301) can be determined (403) between a power need of a data channel of a packet and a total available transmit power (315) of the network infrastructure device. Scheduling packets (405) is responsive to the margin, and determines the next packet to be sent, where the control channel of the next packet has a power need less than the power margin. Resources are allocated (407) responsive to the margin to further determine the subsequent packet. The subsequent packet is transmitted (411) on the channel, wherein the data channel of the current packet and the control channel of the subsequent packet are at least partially contemporaneous.