RTC stands for Real-Time Communications.
RTC is a broad term referring to any system that enables the exchange of information (voice, video, data) between participants with minimal delay. The defining characteristic of RTC is low latency - typically under 500ms and ideally under 200ms for conversational use cases.
RTC vs other communication paradigms
- Real-time (RTC): Sub-second latency. Used for video calls, voice calls, gaming. WebRTC operates here
- Near-real-time: 1-5 seconds latency. Used for live streaming, chat
- Non-real-time: Minutes to hours. Used for email, file sharing
WebRTC's name itself contains "RTC" - Web Real-Time Communication. It is the primary technology for implementing RTC in web browsers and mobile applications today.
RTC challenges
Achieving real-time communication requires solving several technical challenges:
- NAT traversal to establish direct connections
- Jitter compensation without adding excessive delay
- Bandwidth estimation to adapt quality in real time
- Packet loss recovery without retransmission delays
- Echo cancellation (AEC) and noise handling
