A method and apparatus for managing communications in a wireless communication system such as a WiFi system, at an access point, are provided. Various measurements such as number of devices connected to the access point and using a wireless channel, number of devices not connected to the access point but contending for a wireless channel, proportion of time a wireless channel is in use, transmission quality of a wireless channel, interference due to wireless activity according to a process other than the protocol of the communication system, and interference due to wireless activity according to a different process, are made. Based on the measurements, decisions of how to partition a portion of spectrum into a number of channels as well as the number of channels, or decisions of whether to enable or disable such channels or portions of spectrum, are made.