Wireless Broadband Alliance Tackles Fragmentation Holding Back Smart-Living in Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs)

Guidance shows how fully managed Wi-Fi, open standards and IoT convergence enable scalable, secure consumer connectivity, and create new revenue opportunities for operators.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, February 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the global industry body dedicated to driving the seamless and interoperable services experience of Wi-Fi across the global wireless ecosystem, today announced the release of its new report, " Connectivity Strategies for Smart Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs): Convergence for Connected Living at Scale ". The report provides a clear, standards-based blueprint for transforming residential properties into scalable, secure and fully connected smart communities. As MDUs contend with rising device density, expanding IoT ecosystems and growing resident expectations, the report recommends fully managed, open-standards-driven architectures as the foundation for delivering scalable, enterprise-grade performance, security and long-term operational value.

MDUs have become an increasingly common accommodation option for individuals and families. For example, the 2021 U.S. Census recorded that just under 25% of the population lived in MDUs consisting of four or more units. This expansion, combined with increasing resident expectations and a growing number of managed service providers serving the sector, is driving rapid growth in the MDU connectivity market. Shipments of Wi-Fi access points to MDUs are forecast to more than double from 1.2 million units in 2025 to 2.6 million by 2030. While Wi-Fi 6 currently dominates deployments, Wi-Fi 7 is expected to overtake it by 2027. (ABI Research: Wi-Fi Access Point Shipments to the MDU Vertical World Markets, Forecast: 2024 to 2030)

Drawing on industry collaboration across operators, property owners, technology vendors and service providers, the report addresses the growing fragmentation in MDU connectivity, where proprietary solutions, inconsistent standards and uncoordinated wireless deployments are limiting scalability and reliability. It outlines how convergence across Wi-Fi, IoT and property management systems can shift connectivity from a cost center into a strategic, revenue-generating asset supporting premium SLA-based services while reducing operational overheads. For consumers, convergence will improve performance, reliability and enable features such seamless onboarding and home automation.

Key insights from the Connectivity Strategies for Smart MDUs Report

The report identifies critical insights on how MDUs can transform their connectivity strategies to support scalable, secure, and future-ready smart living environments. These include key points for optimizing Wi-Fi, IoT integration, and building management systems:

• Unified, scalable connectivity is foundational to smart living at scale - Fragmented networks cannot support the density, mobility, and automation demands of modern MDUs. Fully managed, standards-based Wi-Fi architectures are essential to provide the reliability needed in these high-density environments

• Open standards are critical to interoperability and long-term viability - Standards-based architectures reduce complexity, prevent vendor lock-in and enable ecosystem scale. Open standards such as EasyMesh, USP/TR-369, TR-181, MoCA/G.hn, and OpenRoaming play a key role in reducing fragmentation and ensuring long-term network viability

• Fully managed Wi-Fi is required for enterprise-grade performance in MDUs - Unmanaged and quasi-managed models fail to deliver consistent performance, security and tenant isolation for their data and connections. A fully managed Wi-Fi network, coupled with a bulk billing ISP arrangement is the only sustainable approach for dense residential environments, ensuring high performance and seamless connectivity across all units

• IoT convergence transforms MDUs into experience-driven smart communities - Integrated IoT elevates buildings beyond basic connectivity to deliver automation, safety, and operational intelligence and enhanced tenant experiences. A seamless integration of IoT, building systems and connectivity under a unified managed architecture makes this possible

• Multi-Admin is a defining requirement for MDU connectivity - Secure, role-based access is essential to support owners, operators, MSPs, contractors, and residents on shared infrastructure. Multi-Admin capabilities are necessary to ensure effective management while maintaining privacy and security across all users and devices. Several critical opportunities and gaps are identified, including the applicability of the Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Matter protocol as potentially a key element


New technologies and making the transition
The report examines how next-generation technologies such as Wi-Fi 7, 6 GHz spectrum, WPA3 and emerging IoT frameworks are unlocking significant new performance and service opportunities for MDUs, while also introducing real-world deployment and operational challenges at scale. It explores the need for unified, scalable connectivity to support connected living, the critical role of open standards in enabling interoperability and avoiding vendor lock-in, and the importance of fully managed Wi-Fi, underpinned by wired backhaul, to deliver predictable performance and strong tenant isolation in high-density residential environments.

The paper also addresses real-world transition challenges, including WPA3 migration risks in large-scale residential deployments and the operational impact of device compatibility. It also highlights the growing importance of Property Management System (PMS) integration as a force multiplier for onboarding, access control and lifecycle management.

Tiago Rodrigues, President and CEO of the Wireless Broadband Alliance, said: “Connected living at scale represents a strategic opportunity for the MDU and residential sector, but only if connectivity infrastructure is centralized orchestrated rather than an afterthought. For residents, this means reliable, seamless digital experiences across their homes and shared spaces. For owners and operators, it means predictable performance, operational efficiency, investment optimization and the ability to introduce new, differentiated services with long-term value.”

George Hechtman, Project Leader, and Principal at Hechtman Venture Development, added: "We conceived of this working group as a result of seeing the proliferation of IoT wireless devices, their various stakeholders and use cases in MDU buildings. This can result in a complex mishmash of technologies at odds with each other. We felt that a comprehensive review of these technologies was a necessary first step towards resolving these issues, while providing property owners, service providers, and software/hardware vendors with a valuable reference document. We look forward to leveraging the various learnings into our 2026 technical program."

Wael Guibene, Project Co-Leader, Chief Editor, and Platform Architect at Silicon Labs, said: "Multi-dwelling environments represent one of the most demanding proving grounds for IoT connectivity today. This WBA whitepaper demonstrates that the path forward lies in the convergence of Wi-Fi and Thread through Matter; enabling a unified, interoperable ecosystem where devices seamlessly coexist across protocols. At Silicon Labs, we believe that standards-based connectivity is the foundation of scalable smart living, and this work provides critical guidance for deploying truly operator-managed IoT at scale.”

Saurabh Mathur, Vice President - Product Management at RUCKUS Networks, concluded: "MDU residents no longer judge their building’s connectivity by whether they can get online - they expect multi gigabit, always on experiences for work, entertainment, and smart home automation in every corner of the property. And they increasingly expect intelligent, AI driven networks that anticipate congestion, personalize access and automatically troubleshoot issues so every guest and resident enjoys a seamless, secure connection.”

Looking ahead to phase two
Building on its findings, WBA is inviting operators, property owners, managed service providers and technology vendors to participate in the next phase which will commence in Q1 2026. This phase will focus on developing the MDU Smart Living Technical Blueprint, delivering industry-aligned architectures, validated deployment models and practical guidance to accelerate commercial adoption. Interested parties can register an interest in the next phase of the project at https://wballiance.com/engage-with-wba/.

The “Connectivity Strategies for Smart Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs): Convergence for Connected Living at Scale” report is available to download at https://wballiance.com/connectivity-strategies-for-smart-mdus


About the Wireless Broadband Alliance
Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) is the global organization that connects people with the latest Wi-Fi initiatives. Founded in 2003, the vision of the WBA is to drive seamless, interoperable service experiences via Wi-Fi within the global wireless ecosystem. The WBA’s mission is to bring together global industry leaders, collaborating to accelerate the development, integration and adoption of next-generation Wi-Fi and wireless technologies to deliver business growth, through innovation, technical and standards development, and real-world deployment programs.

Its key programs include NextGen Wi-Fi, OpenRoaming, 5G, 6G, IoT, Smart Cities, Testing & Interoperability and Policy & Regulatory Affairs.

Membership in the WBA includes major operators, service providers, enterprises, hardware and software vendors, and other prominent companies that support the ecosystems from around the world. The WBA Board comprises influential organizations such as Airties, AT&T, Boingo Wireless, Boldyn Networks Broadcom, BT, Charter Communications, Cisco Systems, Comcast, HFCL, Intel, Reliance Jio, RUCKUS Networks, Telecom Deutschland and Turk Telekom.


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