An apparatus for managing contention in a communications system, the apparatus comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing programming for execution by the processor. The programming may include instructions to receive a ranging code from a device in a ranging channel, the ranging code corresponding to a current ranging attempt. The programming may further include instructions to broadcast a message acknowledging reception of the ranging code. The programming may further include instructions to receive a ranging request message from the device, the ranging request message comprising a ranging retries parameter that specifies a number of ranging retries that the device performed during the current ranging attempt.