Systems and methods for contention based tones in a multipoint-to-point orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system are provided. In one embodiment, a multipoint-to-point, orthogonal frequency division multiplexed (OFDM) communication system comprises: a host unit; a plurality of remote units that access the host unit using an orthogonal frequency division multiple access scheme; wherein each of the remote units modulates upstream information into an OFDM signal modulated using a Fourier transform; wherein the host unit receives upstream OFDM signals from a plurality of the remote units, wherein portions of the upstream OFDM signals arrive at the host unit at the same time; wherein a first remote unit transmits a first upstream signal to the host unit on a first orthogonal tone; and wherein the first remote unit retransmits the first upstream signal to the host unit in the event a collision occurs on the first orthogonal tone.