1. A method for transporting internet protocol data packets in a network environment, wherein said internet protocol data packets include a header portion, said method 5 comprising the steps of: storing a portion of the internet protocol data packet header at a location in a look-up table; mapping the portion of the internet protocol data packet header stored in the look-up table by inserting an address into a portion of an AAL2 minicell header, 10 wherein the address corresponds to the look-up table location where the portion of the internet protocol data packet header is stored; inserting a remaining portion of the internet protocol data packet header into a payload portion of the AAL2 minicell; transmitting the AAL2 minicell to a receiving point in the network; 15 analyzing the address inserted into the AAL2 minicell header; retrieving the portion of the internet protocol data packet header stored in the look-up table based on the address in the AAL2 minicell header.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the internet protocol data packet 20 stored in the look-up table is a session context/connection identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the AAL2 minicell header where the look-up table address is stored is a channel identification data field. 25

4. A method for transporting an internet protocol data packet over an AAL2 connection comprising the steps of: encapsulating the internet protocol data packet using a point-to-point protocol, wherein the internet protocol data packet includes a header portion; determining whether data associated with a first data field in the internet 30 protocol data packet header has been previously stored in a first look-up table; -16 if the data associated with the first data field in the internet protocol data packet header has been previously stored in the first look-up table, omitting the first data field from the internet protocol data packet header and inserting an address in a first data field of an AAL2 minicell header, wherein the address corresponds to a 5 location in the first look-up table where the data associated with the first data field in the internet protocol data packet header was stored; inserting the encapsulated internet protocol data packet into a payload portion of the AAL2 minicell; transmitting the AAL2 minicell to a receiving point in the network; and 10 retrieving the data associated with the first data field in the internet protocol data packet header from the first look-up table in accordance with the address stored in the first data field of the AAL2 minicell header.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of: 15 determining whether the AAL2 minicell is to be segmented.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising the steps of: if the AAL2 minicell is not to be segmented, omitting a second data field from the internet protocol data packet, and inserting an address in a second data field of 20 the AAL2 minicell header, wherein the address stored in the second data field of the AAL2 minicell header corresponds to a location in a second look-up table where data associated with the second data field in the internet protocol data packet is stored; and at the receiving point, retrieving the data associated with the second data field in the internet protocol data packet from the second look-up table in accordance 25 with the address stored in the second data field of the AAL2 minicell header.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second data field in the internet protocol data packet is a point-to-point protocol identifier data field. -17

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second data field of the AAL2 minicell header is a user-to-user information data field.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the first data field in the internet protocol data 5 packet header is a session context/connection identifier data field

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data associated with the session context/connection identifier data field is data packet routing information. 1011. A method for transporting a point-to-point protocol encapsulated, internet protocol data packet over an AAL2 minicell in a network environment, wherein the internet protocol data packet includes a header portion, said method comprising the steps of: determining whether the internet protocol data packet header is in a compressed format; 15 if the internet protocol data packet header is compressed, utilizing an address stored in a first portion of the AAL2 minicell header to map data associated with a first data field in the internet protocol data packet header which has been previously stored in a first look-up table; determining whether the AAL2 minicell is to be segmented; 20 if the AAL2 minicell is to be segmented, utilizing an address stored in a second portion of the AAL2 minicell header to map data associated with a second data field in the internet protocol data packet which has been previously stored in a second look-up table; transporting the AAL2 minicell to a receiving point in the network; and 25 retrieving the data associated with the first data field in the internet protocol data packet header from the first look-up table based on the address stored in the first portion of the AAL2 minicell header, and the data associated with the second data field in the internet protocol data packet from the second look-up table based on the address stored in the second portion of the AAL2 minicell header. 30 V7LJ 7.71UsO 1 L, A I v u -1812. The method of claim 11, wherein the internet protocol data packet is a transmission control protocol (TCP) data packet

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the internet protocol data packet is a user 5 datagram protocol (UDP) data packet

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the internet protocol data packet is a real-time transmission protocol (RTP) data packet. 1015. The method of claim 11, wherein the data associated with a first field in the internet protocol data packet header is data packet routing information

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first data field in the internet protocol data packet is a session context/connection identifier data field. 1517. The method of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the second data field in the internet protocol data packet is internet protocol type data

18. A method for transporting an internet protocol data packet over an AAL2 20 connection in a network environment, wherein said internet protocol data packet includes a header portion, said method comprising the steps of: determining whether data associated with a session context/connection identifier data field in a header portion of a first internet protocol data packet has been previously stored in a look-up table; 25 if the data associated with the session context/connection identifier data field has not been previously stored in the look-up table, inserting the internet protocol data packet header into a payload portion of a first AAL2 minicell, wherein the internet protocol data packet header is a full header; inserting an unused look-up table address in a data field associated with 3 0 the header portion of the AAL2 minicell; VV %J 7 71 L VU -19 transmitting the first AAL2 minicell from a sending point to a receiving point in the network; storing the data associated with the session context/connection identifier data field in the look-up table in accordance with the unused address in the data field 5 associated with the AAL2 minicell header; determining whether data associated with a session context/connection identifier data field in the header of a second internet protocol data packet has been previously stored in the look-up table; if the data associated with the session context/connection identifier data 10 field in the header of the second internet protocol data packet has been previously stored, storing an address in a data field associated with a header portion of a second AAL2 minicell, wherein the address corresponds to a location in the first look-up table where the data associated with the session context/connection identifier field has been previously stored; 15 inserting a remaining portion of the second internet protocol data packet header, excluding the session context/connection identifier data field, into a payload portion of the second AAL2 minicell; transmitting the second AAL2 minicell to the receiving point; and retrieving the data associated with the session context/connection 20 identifier data field in the header of the second internet protocol data packet based on the address stored in the data field of the second AAL2 minicell header.19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data field in the first and the second minicell header is a connection identification (CID) data field. 25

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of: inserting a default code into the data field of the first AAL2 minicell header, if the data associated with the session context/connection identifier field in the header portion of said first internet protocol data packet has not been previously stored 30 in the look-up table.']