Switching scheme for opting in and out of multi-user orthogonal frequency-division multiple access

An electronic device comprising:

• a memory and a processor, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to implement an access-mode manager application configured to:
• manage transmission and reception of signals over a wireless network according to a multi-user orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (MU-OFDMA) mode;
• enter the MU-OFDMA mode to communicate via a wireless network over a shared-channel bandwidth;
• responsive to entering the MU-OFDMA mode, initiate a first timer that defines an amount of time in which the electronic device is prevented from opting out of the MU-OFDMA mode;
• during the MU-OFDMA mode, determine that an uplink-queue size is greater than a first threshold size;
• responsive to a determination that the uplink-queue size is greater than the first threshold size and expiration of the first timer:
• opt out of the MU-OFDMA mode;
• and
• enter a single-user mode to contend for a transmit channel for transmitting uplink data.