Systems and methods to transmit data over multiple communication channels in parallel with forward error correction. An optimized number is determined to partition a data segment of a given size into the optimized number of original packets of the same size, by reducing the cost of transmitting dummy data added to the original packets due to the partition, the data fields added to communication packets to support decoding, and redundant packets that are expected to be transmitted via a plurality of parallel channels before the termination of the transmission, as well as the computation cost that increases as a function of the number of original packets. Copies of packets are generated by distributing the original packets to the copies as initial packets and generating each subsequent channel-encoded packet by rejecting useless channel-encoded packets in view of packets assumed to have been received prior to the transmission of the subsequent channel-encoded packet.