An Evaluation of IP Header Compression on the GIG Joint IP Modem System

In wireless communications, improving bandwidth efficiency is a necessity in the presence of limited spectrum resources and increasing demand. This is especially true in satellite communications where resources are shared amongst many of users. The Joint IP Modem (JIPM) is a satellite modem system that will enable extension of Global Information Grid (GIG) services to remote war fighters. One method to improve SATCOM bandwidth efficiency is header compression, which reduces the size of the packet header and the overall packet size. In this paper, we examine applying Robust Header Compression (ROHC) to the JIPM system and evaluate its performance over various scenarios. We show that ROHC is a promising technique for improving SATCOM bandwidth efficiency, reducing link load with equal or better end-to-end performance. Additionally, we discuss some implications of applying header compression to SATCOM systems.