An apparatus (100) for providing an joint error correction code (140) for a combined data frame (254) comprising first data (112) of a first data channel and second data (122) of a second data channel comprises a first error code generator (110) configured to provide, based on a linear code, information on a first error correction code (114a, 114b) using the first data (112). The apparatus further comprises a second error code generator (120) configured to provide, based on the linear code, information on a second error correction code (124) using the second data (122). The apparatus is configured to provide the joint error correction code (140) using the information on the first error correction code (114a, 114b) and the information on the second error correction code (124).