Systems and methods for real time, long distance, remote welding

Embodiments of systems and methods for remotely controlling a robotic welding system over a long distance in real time are disclosed. One embodiment is a method that includes tracking movements and control of a mock welding tool operated by a human welder at a local site and generating control parameters corresponding to the movements and control. The control parameters are transmitted from the local site to a robotic welding system at a remote welding site over an ultra-low-latency communication network. The round-trip communication latency over the ultra-low-latency communication network is between 0.5 milliseconds and 20 milliseconds, and a distance between the local site and the remote welding site is at least 50 kilometers. An actual welding operation of the robotic welding system is controlled to form a weld at the remote welding site via remote robotic control of the robotic welding system in response to the control parameters.