Understanding Latency
Traditional video calls route traffic through central servers, often introducing 300 to 500 milliseconds of delay. In a fast-paced interview, this causes overlapping speech and awkward pauses.
The WebRTC Difference
WebRTC allows browsers to establish direct peer-to-peer connections. The media flows directly between the host and the guest, often resulting in latency under 100 milliseconds—faster than human perception of delay in a conversation.
Scaling with SFUs
While peer-to-peer is perfect for two people, it struggles with 10. Modern WebRTC architecture uses Selective Forwarding Units (SFUs), which act purely as a lightweight relay, maintaining low latency while efficiently distributing media to multiple participants.