  Wireless connectivity is rapidly becoming ubiquitous and affordable. As a
consequence, most wireless devices are nowadays equipped with
multi-connectivity, that is, availability of multiple radio access technologies
(RATs). Each of these RATs has different characteristics that can be suitably
utilized for different connectivity tasks. For example, a long-range low-rate
RAT can be used for topology management and coordination, whereas a short-range
high-rate RAT for data transmission. In this paper, we introduce a distributed
consensus protocol for the hierarchical organization of Wireless Mesh Networks
(WMNs) with devices using multiple RATs. Our protocol considers three
hierarchical roles after the initial setup: Master, cluster head (CH), and
cluster member (CM). The Master coordinates the use of all RATs, whereas the
CHs coordinate all but the RAT with the longest transmission range. The initial
setup takes place immediately after powering on the devices, after which the
devices self-organize in a distributed manner by means of a consensus to elect
the Masters and CHs. The resulting interconnected structure is based on the
connectivity graphs created with the different RATs. The distributed consensus
protocol operates with a minimal amount of network information and demonstrates
high networking performance.
