Are yesterday’s information-theoretic fading models and performance metrics adequate for the analysis of today’s wireless systems?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine some of the models commonly used to represent/nfading as well as the information-theoretic metrics most commonly used to evaluate performance/nover those models. We raise the question of whether these models and metrics remain/nmeaningful in light of the advances that wireless systems have undergone over the last/ntwo decades. A number of weaknesses are pointed out, and ideas on possible fixes are put/nforth. Some of the identified weaknesses have to do with models that, over time, have become/ngrossly inadequate; other weaknesses have to do with changes in the operating conditions/nof wireless systems, and others with the coarse and asymptotic nature of some of the most/npopular performance metrics (“diversity” and “multiplexing”).