A multi-hop wireless communication system, in which packets of data are transmitted over a connection between a base station (MR-BS) and a subscriber station (SS) via at least one relay station (RS), the packets of data being transmitted in accordance with one of a plurality of service classes each having a respective quality-of-service (QoS), and available bandwidth in the system being shared among a plurality of such connections in accordance with their service classes. To decrease the latency of bandwidth allocation in the system, and to support its scheduler algorithm, the RS has to know the QoS demands and the bandwidth allocating requirements of each connection.