Reports
The report warns that current MDU deployments are often fragmented, with inconsistent standards hampering scalability and reliability.
Edited by Brad Randall, Broadband Communities
The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) has published a new report laying out a standards-based approach to connecting multi-dwelling units (MDUs) as they evolve into denser, smarter residential communities.
Titled “Connectivity Strategies for Smart Multi‑Dwelling Units (MDUs): Convergence for Connected Living at Scale,” the paper argues that fully managed, open-standards architectures are needed to handle rising device counts, expanding IoT ecosystems and higher resident expectations.
MDU deployments are often fragmented
The report warns that current MDU deployments are often fragmented, with proprietary solutions and inconsistent standards hampering scalability and reliability. It recommends unified, managed Wi‑Fi built on open standards such as EasyMesh, USP/TR‑369, TR‑181, MoCA/G.hn and OpenRoaming, and highlights multi-admin role-based controls to balance owners’, operators’ and residents’ needs.
The authors also note likely technology shifts in the market: Wi‑Fi access point shipments to MDUs are forecast to more than double by 2030, and Wi‑Fi 7 is expected to overtake Wi‑Fi 6 by 2027.
WBA leaders framed the report as a playbook for turning connectivity from a cost center into a strategic asset.
“Connected living at scale represents a strategic opportunity for the MDU and residential sector, but only if connectivity infrastructure is centralized and orchestrated rather than an afterthought,” said Tiago Rodrigues, WBA president and CEO. He added that centralized management could deliver predictable performance, operational efficiency and new revenue-generating services for owners and operators.
Industry contributors also emphasized interoperability and IoT convergence.
“We conceived of this working group as a result of seeing the proliferation of IoT wireless devices… This can result in a complex mishmash of technologies at odds with each other,” said George Hechtman, the project leader.
Wael Guibene of Silicon Labs argued that integrating Wi‑Fi and Thread via Matter can create a unified ecosystem, while RUCKUS Networks’ Saurabh Mathur said residents now expect “multi‑gigabit, always‑on experiences” and smarter, AI-driven network management.
The report also flags practical rollout challenges, such as WPA3 migration, device compatibility and the need for wired backhaul, underscoring that adopting next‑generation standards will require coordinated effort from property managers, service providers and vendors.
Some AI tools assisted in the crafting of this report.
