We’ve all been there. Important client call, and suddenly you’re frozen on screen or speaking to empty air because your audio cut out. Regional internet doesn’t always cooperate with video conferencing.

I’ve spent years working remotely from regional Victoria, dealing with everything from NBN dropouts to mobile dead zones. Here’s what I’ve learned about making video calls work when your connection is questionable.

Before the Call

Know Your Internet

Test your connection before important calls. Speedtest.net gives you download and upload speeds, but what matters more is consistency.

Run a few tests at different times. If your speeds vary wildly, that’s a problem. Consistent 15 Mbps is better than erratic 50 Mbps.

Have a Backup Ready

Before any critical call, have your mobile hotspot charged and ready. Know how to switch to it quickly.

If you’re on a laptop, test the hotspot connection before you need it. Nothing worse than fumbling with network settings mid-call.

Close Everything Else

Other applications consume bandwidth. Before important calls:

• Close other browser tabs (especially those streaming video or playing audio)
• Stop any cloud sync services temporarily (Dropbox, OneDrive)
• If others share your connection, ask them to minimise usage during your call
• Update devices at other times, not during your work hours

Choose the Right Location

If wifi is spotty in your home, test different locations. Often one room has better signal than others.

Some people find that hardwired ethernet connections (even with an adapter for laptops without ports) are more reliable than wifi.

During the Call

Camera Off is OK

Video consumes far more bandwidth than audio. If your connection struggles, turn off your camera.

“Apologies, my internet is playing up—I’ll switch off video to keep the audio clear.”

This is completely normal and acceptable. Anyone who’s worked with regional people understands.

Use Chat as Backup

Most video conferencing tools have chat features. If audio becomes problematic, you can type critical points.

I’ve had calls where audio failed and we continued via chat while trying to restore connection. Not ideal, but it works.

Phone Dial-In Options

Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet all offer phone dial-in numbers. If internet fails completely, you can join via phone for audio while viewing shared screens on your computer.

Save these dial-in numbers in your phone contacts before you need them.

Lower Quality Settings

Most platforms let you manually reduce video quality. Look for settings that cap resolution at 720p or lower.

In Zoom: Settings > Video > HD (turn off) In Teams: During call, click ”…” > Settings > Video quality In Google Meet: Settings > Video > Send/receive resolution

Record Important Calls

If your connection is unstable, ask if calls can be recorded. When you drop out, you can review what you missed.

Obviously, this requires everyone’s consent—but most people are happy to accommodate.

After Connection Problems

Follow Up Promptly

If you had significant dropouts, send a follow-up email summarising key points and asking about anything you missed.

“Apologies for the connection issues earlier. I caught the discussion about [X] and [Y]. Could you confirm I didn’t miss anything critical during the audio drops?”

This shows professionalism and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

Document and Escalate

If connection problems are chronic, document them. Date, time, what happened, impact on work.

This documentation helps if you’re:

• Pushing your ISP for service investigation
• Requesting NBN business-grade service
• Justifying a Starlink installation to whoever controls your budget
• Explaining to employers why you need connection improvements

Platform-Specific Tips

Zoom

• “Touch up appearance” setting uses processing power—turn it off
• Use the desktop app, not browser version
• “Low data mode” exists in settings

Microsoft Teams

• Background effects consume bandwidth—use a static background or none
• Teams is generally heavier on bandwidth than Zoom

Google Meet

• Works well even on marginal connections
• Browser-based means one less app to update

The Longer-Term Fix

These tips help you survive, but they don’t solve underlying problems.

If video conferencing is regular and important for your work, investing in better internet is worthwhile:

• NBN business plans sometimes include better support and prioritisation
• Starlink is genuinely good now for most areas
• Mobile backup plans from different carriers give redundancy

For our regional community to participate fully in the modern economy, we need reliable internet. Keep pushing for infrastructure improvements. Contact your federal MP. Support advocacy groups. These short-term workarounds shouldn’t be permanent.

But until the infrastructure catches up, I hope these tips help you survive your next video call.

Regional Development Victoria tracks connectivity improvement projects, and you can check upgrade schedules at the NBN website.