Humans have been learning at a distance for millennia. Modern information and communications technology has enabled formal distance education to be conducted online, though significant variation exists in purpose, course format, delivery methods, etc. Under duress of COVID-19, educators and students alike have been forced to engage in their courses remotely. These courses, however, are not equivalent to formal distance education and to date have broadly been referred to as Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Nevertheless, ERT courses are no longer unexpected and have become plannable; many are being sustained indefinitely due to the prolonged nature of the pandemic. Despite this paradox, current ERT literature typically conceptualizes the ongoing practice monolithically. This conceptual paper discusses key differences between formal distance education, emergency remote teaching, and the evolving practice of Sustained Remote Teaching (SRT). We suggest a descriptive contextual model as a research analytic for discussion in the field of distance education.