Does the QUIC handshake require compression to be fast?

The QUIC handshake is designed to be fast and efficient, and while compression can help reduce the size of the handshake messages, it is not strictly required for QUIC to be fast. QUIC's performance benefits come from its ability to establish connections quickly, reduce head-of-line blocking, and multiplex multiple streams over a single connection. However, compression can still be beneficial in certain scenarios, such as when the handshake messages are large or when the network bandwidth is limited. To achieve optimal performance, it's essential to consider factors like packet size, latency, and network conditions.