Infrastructure
WebRTC
2011ActiveUpdated: 28 August 2026Published
Key
innovation
Open standard for real-time audio/video/data communication directly between browsers and apps (peer-to-peer).
Category
Infrastructure
Abstraction level
System
Operation level
Architecture blockModel
Use cases
Video conferencing and voice callsTelerobotics and remote robot controlReal-time video/data streaming from robotsReal-time voice interaction with AI assistants
How it works
WebRTC establishes direct P2P connections using ICE/STUN/TURN (NAT traversal), negotiates sessions via SDP, encrypts media (SRTP/DTLS) and provides data channels (DataChannel). When P2P is impossible, traffic is relayed via a TURN server.
Problem solved
Real-time media over the web was previously difficult, requiring plugins and relay servers, which increased latency and complexity.