Messages are delivered in a mobile network by creating a communication route between a source node and a destination node comprised of virtual routers, each virtual router being fixed to a particular geographical area and including a plurality of mobile nodes, each of the mobile nodes being available to forward a data packet on behalf of a virtual router, and each mobile node upon receiving a data packet sent over the communication route monitoring for forwarding of the data packet by another mobile node and, if such forwarding is not detected, the mobile node forwarding the data packet.