Boundaries set you free: Why open standards matter more than ever for Wi-Fi

When people think of Wi-Fi, they think of freedom - the ability to connect anywhere, on any device, without wires slowing them down. But after years working with telecommunication providers around the world, I’ve learned something important: delivering that freedom is only possible when you also embrace boundaries. Not restrictive ones, but the kind created by open standards. 

As telecommunication providers roll out Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and now Wi-Fi 7, they’re managing millions of devices across very different home environments and networks. More than 90% of all internet traffic now travels over Wi-Fi, which means in-home wireless performance has become the defining factor in customer satisfaction. And yet, many telecommunication providers are still trapped in proprietary systems that limit flexibility, increase support costs, and make it difficult to innovate at scale. 

That’s where standards come in. 

Why standards matter in Wi-Fi 

If you work in telecoms, you’re already familiar with standards from 3GPP or ITU-T. They give telecommunication providers the confidence to invest, the ability to scale, and a common language for innovation. But the Wi-Fi domain hasn’t always had the same level of alignment. Different vendors often use different software stacks, management systems, and diagnostics—effectively creating islands of proprietary Wi-Fi. 

Standardization breaks down those islands. It gives telecommunication providers the ability to manage every home network through a unified, service-grade platform—regardless of which vendor’s gateway or mesh system a customer happens to use. 

For telecommunication providers, that’s the difference between managing Wi-Fi and managing a multivendor puzzle. 

The Wi-Fi standards that make this possible 

Several global standards now underpin modern, open, telecommunication provider-managed Wi-Fi. These are the ones that matter most: 

• Wi-Fi Alliance (WFA). WFA certification ensures that Wi-Fi 6, 6E and 7 devices behave consistently and interoperate cleanly across vendors.
• Wi-Fi CERTIFIED EasyMesh. EasyMesh allows mesh nodes from different vendors to form a single, coordinated home network. This reduces support calls, gives customers more choice, and boosts satisfaction.
• Broadband Forum TR-369 (User Services Platform). TR-369 standardizes remote management, diagnostics, and service orchestration across telecommunication providers —something telecommunication providers desperately need as device fleets grow.
• Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). Under its Operator Managed Wi-Fi initiative, WBA helps align Wi-Fi standards with broader broadband standards so telecommunication providers can treat Wi-Fi as a true extension of their network.
• Open Container Initiative (OCI) / prpl Foundation LCM. These frameworks make it possible to deploy and update containerized applications on gateways securely and consistently, regardless of vendor. 

Together, these standards lay the foundation for an open, interoperable Wi-Fi ecosystem. 

What this means for telecommunication providers

When telecommunication providers adopt a standards-based approach, the business impact is immediate: 

• They can mix and match hardware from multiple vendors to optimize cost, coverage, and performance.
• They can launch value-added services—parental controls, cybersecurity, gaming optimization—through a common application framework.
• They can collect consistent performance data across the entire device footprint, which improves optimization and SLA management. 

And perhaps most importantly, they can finally tackle the biggest cost driver in broadband operations: Wi-Fi support calls, which account for up to 70% of all broadband-related issues. 

Standardized diagnostics and management dramatically reduce those calls by giving telecommunication providers clearer insight into what’s happening inside the home—without relying on proprietary tools. 

How we put standards to work 

At Nokia, we’ve always believed that the best way to deliver Wi-Fi freedom is through open, interoperable systems. Our Corteca Home Controller brings all of these standards together in one platform, giving telecommunication providers unified visibility and control across multivendor CPE. And of course, our own Wi-Fi devices are fully standards-compliant. 

For telecommunication providers, that means an easier network to run, a better broadband experience for customers, and the freedom to build the services they want—not the services their vendor ecosystem limits them to. 

Wi-Fi shouldn’t be the exception 

Telecoms runs on standards. Wi-Fi should be no different. The best way to deliver wireless freedom to customers is to give telecommunication providers the same freedom: freedom from lock-in, freedom to innovate, and freedom to scale Wi-Fi as a true service platform. 

In the Wi-Fi era, boundaries don’t constrain you—they set you free. 

This post originally appeared as an article in RCR Wireless News