1. A method of decoding a coded signal that is encoded in accordance with at least two component codes, to include a first component code (CC 1 ) and a second component code (CC 2 ), comprising: (a) receiving a communication signal representative of the coded signal, and decoding the communication signal to determine a first decoded sequence; (b) using at least a portion of the first decoded sequence along with information associated with the communication signal to determine a first set of starting points, wherein each starting point in the first set of starting points includes at least one component code decoded sequence; (c) performing a set of parallel iteration threads, where each parallel iteration thread starts from a respective starting point and terminates on a respective termination point upon satisfying a stopping condition, wherein each respective termination point corresponds to a respective decoded sequence and the stopping condition is a member of the group consisting of: stopping a parallel iteration thread when: (i) an inherently-assumed CC 2 decoded sequence is substantially equal to a first-computed CC 2 decoded sequence, (ii) a previously-computed CC 1 decoded sequence is substantially equal to a next-computed CC 1 decoded sequence, and (iii) when a previously-computed CC 2 decoded sequence is substantially equal to a next-computed second CC 2 decoded sequence; (d) evaluating the first decoded sequence and each termination point to determine a respective quality factor thereof; (e) if the quality factor of the first decoded sequence is less than or equal to the minimum of all the quality factors of the termination points, accepting the first decoded sequence as a decoder output sequence.