Advances in Wireless Communications Systems, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Information (ISSN 2078-2489). This special issue belongs to the section "Information and Communications Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 492

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Information Engineering, University of Firenze, 50121 Florence, Italy
Interests: physical layer security; UWB positioning systems; visible light communications; molecular communications; body area networks; 6G; 5G; networks for healthcare applications
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The fifth generation (5G) of mobile communications has significantly advanced the capability to handle growing data and device connectivity demands. As we transition toward the sixth generation (6G), wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are expected to play a pivotal role in enabling a truly pervasive and intelligent communication ecosystem. This Special Issue, titled "Advances in Wireless Communications Systems, 3rd Edition", seeks to explore the future path of WSNs within the 6G framework. We encourage submissions that address the fundamental challenges and opportunities along three key dimensions:

  1. Power Constraints – Strategies for ultra-low power operation and energy harvesting.
  2. Capabilities of Sensor Nodes – Enhancements in processing, sensing, and intelligence at the node level.
  3. Performance/Data Rate or Communication Range – Solutions for high-throughput, low-latency, and extended coverage.

In this context, we welcome contributions that propose innovative network protocols, resource allocation mechanisms, artificial intelligence algorithms, fog/edge computing architectures, or novel spectrum usage to advance one or more of these directions.

Moreover, as massive data transmission becomes ubiquitous, ensuring robust cybersecurity and privacy protection—including physical layer security—is essential. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Network protocols for WSNs in 6G;
  • Resource allocation and optimization;
  • AI-driven communication systems;
  • Radio and optical wireless communications for 6G;
  • Vehicular and industrial networks;
  • Wireless body area networks (WBANs);
  • Ultra-low power and pervasive communications;
  • Fog and edge computing;
  • Physical layer security and cybersecurity;
  • Privacy-preserving communication schemes;
  • Smart city, healthcare, and other vertical IoT applications;

We look forward to receiving your original research and review articles that provide clear insights into how WSNs will evolve and integrate within next-generation wireless systems.

Dr. Stefano Caputo
Dr. Lorenzo Mucchi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Information is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • network protocol and resources allocation
  • wireless sensor networks (WSNs)
  • 6G communications
  • ultra-low power
  • node capability
  • performance and range
  • AI in communications
  • fog computing
  • physical layer security
  • privacy
  • RF and optical communications
  • smart cities

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

23 pages, 3485 KB  
Article
Physical Key Extraction in Galvanic Coupling Communications: Reliability and Security Analysis
by Giacomo Borghini, Stefano Caputo, Anna Vizziello, Pietro Savazzi, Antonio Coviello, Maurizio Magarini, Sara Jayousi and Lorenzo Mucchi
Information 2026, 17(4), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/info17040374 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 216
Abstract
The evolution toward sixth-generation (6G) networks envisions humans as active nodes within a fully interconnected digital ecosystem, supported by data collected from in-body and on-body sensors. Since many of these devices are not equipped to connect directly to 6G networks, Wireless Body Area [...] Read more.
The evolution toward sixth-generation (6G) networks envisions humans as active nodes within a fully interconnected digital ecosystem, supported by data collected from in-body and on-body sensors. Since many of these devices are not equipped to connect directly to 6G networks, Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) serve as an essential intermediate layer. However, conventional radio-frequency technologies face limitations in terms of energy efficiency, security, and data integrity, motivating the adoption of lightweight security mechanisms. Physical Layer Security (PLS), and in particular Physical Key Extraction (PKE), offers a promising solution by enabling legitimate devices to derive shared cryptographic keys from the reciprocal properties of the communication channel. Galvanic coupling (GC) communication has recently emerged as an on-body transmission technology alternative to radio-frequency (RF), which exploits low-power electrical signals propagating through biological tissue. Building on prior feasibility studies, this work proposes a PKE framework tailored to GC channels, integrating a lightweight key reconciliation method, based on Hamming (7,4) error-correction codes, and evaluating system performance through dedicated reliability and security Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Results reveal a trade-off shaped by electrode placement and channel quantization parameters. Among the ones tested, the optimal configuration is achieved with a 3 cm transverse inter-electrode spacing at both transmitter and receiver, and a 3 cm longitudinal separation between transmitter and receiver, by quantizing the channel impulse response with two quantization bits. While this work focuses on validating the method in controlled conditions in order to establish a reliable study framework, future developments will focus on enhanced reconciliation, privacy amplification, and analysis of the GC channel considering physiological and environmental variations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Wireless Communications Systems, 3rd Edition)
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