Communication is provided among plural nodes by a network having finite bandwidth between the nodes. The bandwidth may differ for each direction of propagation. Each node includes a processor for processing locally available data, including data derived locally and available through relatively high-bandwidth paths. When processing at any one of the nodes may be improved by incorporating into the data being processed information which is locally available at another node, at least one node is configured to know (a) the directional bandwidth from itself to the remote node(s) of the system, and (b) also to have knowledge, of the relative improvement to be realized at the first node by incorporation of data of the second node into the processing of the first node. The second node selects portions of its own local data for transmission to the first node which yield large improvement and can be transmitted within the available directional bandwidth. (149)