ROBUST TRANSMISSION OF DATA UTILIZING ENCODED DATA SLICES

A method begins by a processing module concurrently encoding a collection of data segments to produce sets of encoded data slices, where each set includes a total number of encoded data slices and where a decode threshold number of encoded data slices is required to recover a corresponding data segment. The method continues with the processing module determining a transmit number to be initially greater than the decode threshold number and less than the total number. The method continues with the processing module selecting a transmit number of encoded data slices from each set of encoded data slices to produce sets of transmit encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module randomizing ordering of the sets of transmit encoded data slices to produce a random order of encoded data slices and transmitting encoded data slices of the random order of encoded data slices.