A communications system includes a source, a destination, and multiple relays. In a first time period, the source emits a first transmission and a first relay retransmits a prior source transmission. Then, in a second, subsequent time period, the source node emits a second transmission and a second relay transmits the source transmission from the first time period. Optionally, the transmission from the second relay also includes the message from the first relay during the first time period. Similarly, in a third time period, the first relay transmits a message that includes the second relay's transmission and the second source transmission from the second time period. Alternatively, the source node transmit in a first frequency band, the first and second relays receive only in the first frequency band, and retransmit in a second frequency band, and the destination receives in both the first and second frequency bands.