Techniques are provided to adaptively adjust a clear channel assessment threshold for use when a wireless device is to transmit in a wireless network that operates on a channel in a radio frequency band. A first wireless device, configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more second wireless device in the wireless network, receives energy on the channel in the frequency band, analyzes the received energy to detect interference on the channel and determines a type of interference detected in the received energy. The clear channel assessment threshold is adjusted by an amount depending on the type of interference detected.