To accommodate extremely high data rates, provide high reliability, improve coverage, and meet traffic demands in future wireless communication networks, novel technologies have emerged that exploit electromagnetic waves, large multiple-antenna systems, intelligent reflective surfaces, hardware innovations, new network architectures, and higher frequency bands. Considering advances in information theory and devices, fundamental questions arise for system designers on how to develop synergies between theory and practice. Current design and analysis methods are predominantly based on scalar-quantity, far-field, planar-wavefront, monochromatic, and other non-physically consistent assumptions, which can lead to significant mismatches with systems designed based on realistic propagation models.

中文翻译：

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客座社论：通信电磁信号与信息论特刊介绍


为了适应未来无线通信网络的极高数据速率、提供高可靠性、改善覆盖范围并满足流量需求，出现了利用电磁波、大型多天线系统、智能反射表面、硬件创新、新网络架构、和更高的频段。考虑到信息理论和设备的进步，系统设计者面临如何发展理论与实践之间的协同作用的基本问题。当前的设计和分析方法主要基于标量、远场、平面波前、单色和其他非物理一致的假设，这可能导致与基于实际传播模型设计的系统显着不匹配。