A data communication system has a combiner circuit that combines a set of information symbols with error correction codes and that generates a set of product codes that are at least three dimensional. A communication channel receives the set of product codes and provides the set of product codes with errors after a channel delay. A channel detector receives the set of product codes with the errors and generates a channel detector output. An error correction circuit receives the channel detector output and iteratively removes the errors to provide a set of reproduced information symbols with a reduced number of the errors.