Advancements and Challenges in Error Control Coding for Modern Communication Systems: A Comprehensive Review

Error control coding (ECC) forms the backbone of modern communication systems, ensuring reliable data transfer despite channel impairments. Over the decades, ECC techniques have evolved significantly to address the increasing demands of high-speed and robust communication. This paper provides a detailed review of recent advancements in ECC techniques, including block codes, convolutional codes, LDPC, turbo, and polar codes, with a particular focus on their theoretical foundations, practical implementations, and performance in real-world systems. Applications of these techniques in diverse communication systems such as 5G, IoT, satellite communications, and data storage are thoroughly explored. Furthermore, this review discusses key challenges in implementing ECC in modern systems, including achieving low latency, high energy efficiency, and adaptability to dynamic channel conditions. Emerging trends, such as the integration of machine learning in code design and decoding and the role of quantum error correction in future networks, are highlighted. The paper concludes by identifying potential research directions that can shape the future of ECC and ensure its continued relevance in next-generation communication systems.