Header Compression addresses the reduction of protocol header data. Today’s communication is almost everywhere based on the Internet Protocol (IP and IPv6). While Internet fixed line IP communication can usually rely on high bandwidth, low delay network infrastructures, wireless communication faces scarce network resources, high error probabilities, and high delays in comparison to the fixed line communication.

Especially for for multimedia data with real-time constraints, IoT communication with low delay requirements and small amounts of user data, the actual payload, or even TCP/IP based traffic of wireless devices reducing the overhead of IP/IPv6 and higher layer protocols significantly results in a gain for both, the user and the network operator. While users benefit from better Quality of Service (QoS), operators save space in the spectrum, bandwidth in the wireless domain, and both notice lower delays due to lower error probabilities if header compression is applied.

Thus, by employing a header compression scheme like RoHC or RoHCv2, the amount of resources available to network users is increased, bandwidth can be saved, and QoS will be improved, resulting in an improved return on investment.

acticom provides a broad range of header compression schemes for wireless devices and networks, IoT devices and meshed access networks, as well as for error prone links of satellite communication.

The acticom RoHC and RoHCv2 protocol stack software implements all Robust Header Compression compression profiles, including the TP profile, and has been deployed in various network infrastructure systems, such as an eNB for LTE. Leading manufacturers of test and measurement devices have integrated the acticom RoHC and RoHCv2 protocol software for verification of e.g. LTE VoLTE or RoHC enabled PDCP traffic. LTE chipsets integrate acticoms RoHC/RoHCv2 for 3GPP Rel. 9 and upwards.

acticoms RFC2507 compliant IPHC (IP Header Compression) implements the less complex IP header compression – available as software protocol stack from acticom for the use in devices or environments that actually need RFC 2507 compliant header compression.

With header compression for IoT (Internet of Things) devices, acticom adds another domain for IP compression, in particular allowing IEEE 802.15.4 devices to use IPv6, even if the 802.15.4 frame size is small and not designed to carry the large IPv6 datagrams.