Abstract: Methods for distributed storage in accordance with embodiments of the invention enable secret sharing. One embodiment includes encoding source data using an encoding system to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data, where: the source data can be recovered from at least a portion of less than all of the plurality of sets of encoded data; and the source data cannot be recovered using less than a threshold number of the plurality of sets of encoded data; storing each of the plurality of sets of encoded data on a storage device from a set of storage devices on which encoded data is stored; determining a set of storage devices that are available using a decoding system, where the set of storage devices that are available does not include all of the storage devices in the set of storage devices on which encoded data is stored.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improved data transmission utilizing a communication facilitator are described in accordance with embodiments of the invention. One embodiment includes a plurality of nodes, that each comprise: a transmitter; a receiver; and an encoder that encodes message data for transmission using a plurality of codewords; a cooperation facilitator node comprising: a transmitter; and a receiver; wherein the nodes are configured to transmit data parameters to the cooperation facilitator; wherein the cooperation facilitator is configured to generate cooperation parameters based upon the data parameters received from the nodes; wherein the cooperation facilitator is configured to transmit cooperation parameters to the nodes; and wherein the encoder in each of the nodes selects a codeword from the plurality of codewords based at least in part upon the cooperation parameters received from the communication facilitator and transmit the selected codeword via the multiple access channel.