Systems, methods, and processing nodes are configured to manage wireless devices in a wireless network, such as a network that employs MIMO techniques, by receiving a request from a new wireless device for access to a wireless network using a first communication protocol, the wireless network using at least two communication protocols simultaneously, determining that a number of wireless devices in the wireless network using the first communication protocol of the at least two communication protocols meets a threshold number of wireless device, and adjusting an operating parameter of a multi-element antenna for communicating signals between an access node and the wireless devices in the wireless network using the first communication protocol when it is determined that the number of wireless devices in the wireless network using the first communication protocol meets the threshold number of wireless devices.