Resilient packet header compression through coding

Header compression saves bandwidth, but it also introduces error propagation whenever packets are lost. We propose to use error correcting codes on the compressed packet headers. The result is an overall system that maintains most of the bandwidth savings of header compression and yet is robust with respect to errors. The key to achieving this tradeoff is appropriate distribution of parity symbols across the packets. The proposed system performs better than ordinary header compression and as well as the TWICE algorithm. In most cases, the effects of the error propagation can be almost removed, such that the end-to-end packet loss rate is similar to a system with no header compression, while the bitrate savings are largely maintained.