A method for wireless communications includes reducing transmission power, by a femto base station, at its radio frequency (RF) transmitter, and cancelling a transmitted data signal of the RF transmitter at its network listen (NL) receiver. The reduction occurs in response to: occurrence of a network listen process; and/or a signal quality of the local macro coverage area exceeding a threshold quality. Additionally or alternatively, the femto base station may detect quality of its macro coverage area, and respond to the signal quality being below the threshold quality by: suspending reduction of transmission power and cancellation of the transmitted data signal; suspending the RF transmitter during transmission gaps assigned to user equipments (UEs); and triggering an NL operation in response to suspension of the RF transmitter, wherein the NL operation occurs within the duration of each of the transmission gaps.