Reducing the VoIP packet overhead in UMTS air interface

Despite the continuous growth of data services, telephony is still the main source of revenue for the third generation mobile systems operators, particularly in the case of UMTS systems already deployed in the world. Considering the increasing utilization of VoIP (voice over IP), it is important to adequate the UMTS systems to this technology, in order to maximize the efficiency of transmission over the air interface. This paper considers a new contribution in this direction, based on the reduction of VoIP packet overhead, aiming to lower power consumption during a typical conversation. It is well known the advantages of HSPA systems for VoIP transmission, but at this moment there are only a few networks commercially available using this technology.