A method, apparatus and computer program product for using a single-radio node and a multi-radio node in a wireless network having a control channel and at least one data channel is presented. One radio of the multi-radio node is kept tuned to the control channel. The single-radio node and the multi-radio node release the control channel at a predetermined time. Further, the data channels used by the single-radio nodes are released at the predetermined time. In such a manner single-radio and multi-radio nodes can co-exist harmoniously in wireless networks with increased bandwidth utilization and efficiency.