Unequal error protection: a turbo multi level coding approach

In this paper we address the study of systems implementing unequal error protection (UEP) by means of the multi level coding (MLC) technique, taking into account the impact of asymmetric constellations and the effect of puncturing. UEP can lead to significant improvements when applied to multimedia broadcast and multicast services (MBMSs), which should represent an important share of the consumer market in the next years. Theoretical considerations and performance assessment of an MLC system implemented by means of turbo codes are undertaken, considering several modulation options.