The quality and security of video conferencing rely, in part, on demanding technological choices – one of the most critical being the communication protocols employed. Constantly evolving, these protocols have a considerable impact on the user experience.
The latest innovation, QUIC (Quick UDP Internet Connections), has emerged as a major breakthrough, combining speed, reliability, and enhanced security. This article explains how QUIC works and outlines its concrete benefits for secure video conferencing solutions such as Tixeo.
More than just a communication protocol
What is the QUIC protocol?
Originally developed by Google in 2012 and standardised by the IETF in 2021, QUIC is a next-generation transport protocol designed to overcome TCP’s latency issues while using UDP as the underlying transport layer. Its goal is to deliver faster, more secure Internet communications by integrating advanced features such as encryption and multiplexing.
Comment ça marche ?
QUIC natively incorporates TLS 1.3, enabling rapid establishment of secure connections through a unified handshake process. This combines authentication (verifying the server’s identity) with technical negotiation (selecting encryption algorithms, connection parameters, etc.).
Whereas a traditional TCP + TLS connection may require up to five separate round trips to establish a secure channel—like a conversation where each party waits for the other to respond before continuing—QUIC reduces this to a single round trip for a new connection, and zero for a reconnection thanks to pre-shared tokens.
For video conferencing users, this translates into a 200–400 ms reduction in meeting start times, which is often noticeable in real-world use.
Why is QUIC ideal for secure video conferencing?
Benefit 1: reduced latency
During an online meeting, latency can significantly degrade the quality of communication. Over time, poor real-time collaboration can hinder team performance and even impact cohesion.
A 2023 study by the University of Louvain found that QUIC reduces average latency compared to TCP, even under adverse network conditions. Tests revealed that latency did not increase significantly under simulated congestion, thanks to QUIC’s improved congestion control mechanisms.
For video conferencing, this results in:
- Mouth-to-ear delays below 150 ms (the human perception threshold)
- Perfect audio-video synchronisation
- Greater responsiveness in collaborative tools such as chat and screen sharing
QUIC therefore ensures lower latency when establishing connections, delivering smoother, more natural video conferencing experiences.
Benefit 2: greater stability on poor networks
Travelling professionals or users with limited bandwidth often struggle to maintain stable connections during videoconferences.
For users on the move or with suboptimal networks, QUIC provides seamless migration. With legacy protocols, starting a meeting on Wi-Fi and switching to 4G mid-session could abruptly disconnect the call. With QUIC, the connection persists even if the IP address changes.
This ensures video conferencing sessions remain smooth and uninterrupted—even in challenging network environments.
Benefit 3: enhanced security without sacrificing performance
With today’s geopolitical climate, risks of espionage or compromised online communications are on the rise, as highlighted by recent incidents involving Zoombombing or deepfakes in videoconferences.
Critical online meetings require the highest levels of confidentiality and security.
QUIC addresses this need by integrating TLS 1.3 encryption natively to secure both data content and metadata for each data packet and using unique session tokens to prevent attackers from reusing intercepted data to gain unauthorised access. As a result, QUIC delivers both robust security and high performance for video conferencing.
Moreover, the QUIC protocol uses unique session tokens for each connection, preventing cyber attackers from reusing intercepted data to gain unauthorised access to a meeting.
Tixeo: video conferencing for extreme network conditions
Tixeo, the European leader in secure video conferencing, integrated QUIC into its software stack more than two years ago.
In collaboration with François Michel, a QUIC expert at the University of Louvain, Tixeo implemented partially reliable communication channels on the QUIC layer—a breakthrough innovation.
Also known as adaptive loss management, this feature retransmits lost audio and video packets only if network conditions allow. Beyond a set threshold, QUIC prioritises fluidity over perfection, preventing frozen video frames or broken audio streams.
This applied research has made Tixeo the first video conferencing solution to use this cutting-edge protocol for real-time audio and video communications.
With Tixeo, organisations benefit from:
- Maximum confidentiality of video, audio, and data streams, protected by true end-to-end encryption
- Seamless communications, even on unstable or extreme networks
A major innovation in video conferencing
The QUIC protocol combines speed, security, and resilience, making it ideally suited for modern video communications.
Moreover, as the foundation for HTTP/3, QUIC is rapidly becoming indispensable for improving the performance, reliability, and security of web applications.
In summary, QUIC offers:
- Near-instantaneous connections, dramatically reducing latency
- Integrated TLS 1.3 encryption from the outset
- Seamless adaptation to mobile networks and roaming scenarios
- Optimised packet loss management, ensuring smooth, reliable communications
These capabilities make QUIC the protocol of choice for real-time communications on today’s Internet.
FAQ: everything you need to know about QUIC
How does QUIC work?
QUIC establishes connections over UDP rather than the traditional TCP protocol. Its built-in TLS 1.3 negotiation speeds up secure connection establishment. With multiplexing, QUIC can transmit multiple independent data streams simultaneously while providing better flow control and bandwidth management.
What are the advantages of QUIC over TCP?
Compared to TCP, QUIC offers:
- Significantly reduced latency when establishing connections
- Improved network performance and reliable data transmission
- Native encryption for enhanced security
- Simultaneous, non-blocking data streams, ideal for modern web and mobile applications
This makes QUIC a fast, reliable, and secure protocol for today’s Internet.
How do I disable QUIC if needed?
In some cases (e.g., diagnostics or firewall compatibility), QUIC may be disabled by adjusting browser settings. In Microsoft Edge, the process is similar. In Google Chrome, type chrome://flags, search for “Experimental QUIC protocol”, and set it to “Disabled”.
What is the link between QUIC and HTTP/3?
HTTP/3 is the latest version of the HTTP protocol, built on top of QUIC instead of TCP. It delivers better performance, greater resilience, and native encryption, improving communication between browsers and servers for a superior user experience.
How does QUIC enhance security?
QUIC is a secure-by-design protocol. It integrates TLS 1.3 encryption directly into its connection process, ensuring robust protection for all exchanged data. With this built-in encryption, QUIC reduces the risks of interception and tampering. Its reliability strengthens the security of transmissions, even over public or unstable networks.
Where is QUIC used today?
QUIC is already widely adopted on the web. Google uses it for services such as YouTube and Gmail. It is also gaining traction in cloud applications, high-performance online services, streaming, video conferencing, and modern web browsing.