Method and apparatus for providing fair access to users with differing signaling delays in a group communication system

A method and apparatus for providing fair access to members of a group communication system in which the members experience differing signaling delays. Members of the communication system send a transmission request to an arbitration device when they wish to communicate with other members. The transmission requests are ultimately received by the arbitration device. A time window is opened by a processor located at the arbitration device at the time an initial transmission request is received. The time window is used to treat all transmission requests that are received within the time window as having been received at the same time. Any transmission requests that are received within the time window are included in determining which member should be granted an exclusive transmission privilege.