Unequal error protection using LT codes and block duplication

Luby Transform (LT) codes are powerful packet erasure codes with low encoding and decoding complexity. We provide a simple method to improve the bit error rate performance of LT codes. Moreover, we exploit our method to design a new approach for unequal error protection with LT codes. We used simulations to compare our approach with a state of the art unequal error protection technique when the information symbols are partitioned into two protection levels (most important bits and least important bits). Our approach yielded lower bit error rates for the two protection levels and lower encoding complexity at the cost of moderately higher decoding complexity.