Inauguration Coverage Sets Record For Online Video

On Tuesday approximately 7.7 million people watched the Presidential inauguration online, at the same time, according to Akamai Technologies Inc. making this the single most-watched event in the history of live Web video. Globally, Akamai reported, 5.4 million visitors were visiting Web pages per minute at noon Tuesday, with most of these viewers in North America. "In the past, you pretty much had to be at home or in an office with television to be able to experience what's in Washington," Clint Cantwell, a viewer who works in public relations in New York told CNN. "They need to know that if they build it they will come, and [Tuesday] was a great example that there is a demand for video," said Al Tompkins, a broadcasting and online news teacher at the Poynter Institute, in Florida.

No mention was made of how the servers kept up with demand or what the video experience was like for these viewers.

Source: CNN

Cellular Systems To Take Hit During Inauguration

With throngs of people descending upon the US capital for a chance to see the Inauguration of President Elect Barack Obama, cellphone carriers are urging their customers to go easy on the system by delaying making calls, sending photos or text messages. “If some of these estimates come true, people should anticipate delays with regards to sending text messages or making phone calls or getting onto the Internet,” said Joe Farren, spokesman for the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association. “We can only bend the laws of physics so much,” Mr. Farren said. Sort of sounds like a Scotty remark to Captain Kirk!

Interestingly, Verizon has several mobile units known as COWs and COLTs (for cells on wheels and cells on light trucks) in it's inventory that it plans to deploy to alliviate some of the anticipated strain on it's system. Carriers also have “sat COLTs,” which carry satellite dishes to send signals independent of terrestrial networks and power supplies. “You drive it where it needs to go, park it, push a couple of buttons, the mast will deploy, the dish will deploy and our generator and satellite ensures we’re fully self-contained and independent,” said Tanya Lin, manager of emergency response team operations for Sprint.

Source: NYTimes