1. A coded modulation method, comprising the steps of: encoding each of a plurality of streams of data bits according to a respective code, thereby generating respective streams of coded bits, wherein a stream of data bits is encoded according to a product code and at least one other stream of data bits is encoded according to at least one other code, and selecting modulation symbols based on respective groups of the coded bits, wherein each group includes coded bits from all of the streams of coded bits, wherein an inner code of the product code and the at least one other code are block codes, and wherein further the block codes have a same predetermined block length.