When attending an event hosted on RingCentral Events from countries with internet firewalls and censorship, users may face challenges due to government-imposed restrictions on online services. This guide provides insights into these potential issues and offers recommendations for hosting successful events in such regions.
Note that we do not have a public list of countries that block access to RingCentral Events due to several reasons:
- Lack of public information: Countries with strict internet censorship, such as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and the UAE, do not publicly disclose the specific services they block. This information is often classified, and there are no comprehensive, publicly available lists detailing all blocked resources.
- Variability across internet providers: Even within a single country, internet service providers (ISPs) may implement government censorship differently. Some providers fully comply with government restrictions, while others may have more lenient or inconsistent filtering. Additionally, some ISPs might temporarily lift certain restrictions, leading to inconsistent access to services.
- Real-time changes and confidentiality: Censorship filters can change rapidly and are often managed by ISPs under strict non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). This makes it impossible to maintain an accurate, up-to-date list of blocked services for all users in a given country.
Common issues in censored regions
Users accessing RingCentral Events from countries with heavy censorship might face several issues, including but not limited to:
- Stage access issues: The stage may not load, showing a black box instead of the content, while other sections like Sessions, Networking, and Expo Booths might work.
- YouTube and media sharing restrictions: Embedded YouTube videos or shared media within sessions may not be accessible due to local restrictions on platforms like YouTube, Google Docs, or Amazon IVS.
- Content access and navigation delays: Users may experience delays or disruptions when trying to access certain content, screen share, or navigate the event due to network filtering.
- Payment issues: Inability to purchase tickets or access paid features due to restrictions on payment processors like Stripe, especially in countries where specific currencies (e.g., Chinese Yuan) are not supported.
Important: Government firewalls and filters may change over time. This means that if a Speaker can access the Stage during a rehearsal, it may not work on the day of the event.
Recommendations for hosting events in censored regions
If you are organizing an event with attendees from countries that enforce internet censorship, consider the following measures:
- Encourage use of private VPNs: Attendees should use a reliable VPN to bypass government firewalls. Many global companies provide VPNs to their employees, which might already be in use.
- Use Sessions instead of Stage: If a large portion of your audience is from affected countries, consider avoiding the use of the Stage and focus on Sessions instead. Alternatively, if you're streaming to your Stage via RTMP, you can mirror this RTMP stream into a Session.
- Multi-stream to alternative platforms: If your streaming software supports streaming into multiple destinations, set up an additional stream to an alternate site. If attendees face issues accessing the Stage, direct them to this alternative platform.
- User 3rd-party software for registrations: For regions where Stripe or certain currencies are not supported, you can use a 3rd-party solution to sell your tickets. You will be able to import those registrations into RingCentral Events via CSV upload, Magic Link invites or one of the available integrations.
- Rehearse with Speakers in affected regions: Ensure that speakers from affected countries are set up well in advance, and have a VPN configured if necessary. As a precaution, pre-record their presentations in case they face connectivity issues on the event day.
Note: While these challenges are significant, they don't preclude the possibility of hosting successful events with attendees from censored regions. It’s important to conduct test events to identify potential issues and follow the recommendations above to provide the best possible experience for all participants.