A limited acknowledgement-based communication methodology increases the throughput efficiency of a relay-based, extended range, wireless packetized data transmissions to a data-reception site from a data-sourcing site, geographically remote with respect to the data-reception site. Rather than return an acknowledgement for each received packet, the data-reception site returns an acknowledgement only after receipt of a group of packets. When returning an acknowledgement, the data-reception site identifies which packets of the group were not successfully received. Missing packets may be retransmitted by the data-sourcing transmitter either immediately, or in response to a subsequent poll.