Multipath IAB communication including multi-hop

An apparatus for wireless communication at a first node comprising:

• memory;
• and at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to, based at least in part on information stored in the memory:
• configure at least one direct path with at least one second node, the at least one direct path being associated with a single-hop transmission to the at least one second node;
• configure a relayed path with the at least one second node, the relayed path being associated with a multi-hop transmission including a base station;
• and communicate data including a relayed data packet associated with a backhaul adaptation protocol (BAP) with the at least one second node through the relayed path, and wherein to communicate the data with the at least one second node, the at least one processor is configured to at least one of:
• transmit, to the base station, the relayed data packet including a BAP header of the base station or the at least one second node, an internet protocol (IP) header of the at least one second node, and the data for the at least one second node, or transmit, to the base station, the relayed data packet including a second BAP header indicating the relayed path and the at least one second node as a destination, a compressed header including a second IP header and an Ethernet header of the at least one second node, and the data for the at least one second node.