1. A method of decoding a product code, in which the symbols of each codeword may be placed in a table comprising n 2 rows and n 1 columns, such that the symbols constituting each row form a permitted word of length n 1 according to a first component code able to be decoded by means of an algorithm A 1 for correction with erasures, and the symbols constituting each column form a permitted word of length n 2 according to a second component code able to be decoded by means of an algorithm A 2 for correction with erasures, said method being characterized in that it comprises a succession of main steps which are implemented until the correction of the received word is complete, each of these steps consisting in processing either a row or a column of said table in a predetermined order, and in that it comprises, to process a row i(1&lE;i&lE;n 2 ): a) applying the algorithm A 1 to the row i taking into account the &tgr; 1 i erased positions (if any), b) if the algorithm A 1 is unable to correct the row, erasing all the symbols of that row, c) if the algorithm A 1 is able to correct the row, determining whether the result of this correction is reliable and, if the result is deemed reliable, accepting said correction, if the result is not deemed reliable, erasing all the symbols of that row, and in that it comprises, to process a column j(1&lE;j&lE;n 1 ): d) applying the algorithm A 2 to the column j taking into account the &tgr; 2 j erased positions (if any), e) if the algorithm A 2 is unable to correct the column, erasing all the symbols of that column, f) if the algorithm A 2 is able to correct the column, determining whether the result of this correction is reliable and, if the result is deemed reliable, accepting said correction, if the result is not deemed reliable, erasing all the symbols of that column.