On the Web, new records were set for news and other sites as the medium adjusted to enormous demands for coverage. Akamai Technologies said Tuesday was "the largest day ever for the delivery of concurrent live streaming" over its platform, which is used to provide expandable video-streaming capacity for many large Web sites.

At 12:15 p.m. EST, just as the oath of office was being taken, Akamai reported a peak of more than seven million simultaneous streams, delivering more than two terabits per second.

'Just the Beginning'

Robert Hughes, executive vice president of global sales at Akamai, said the record number of streams was due, in part, to the event occurring during workday hours and being watched in offices. "This is just the beginning of what is possible when broadcasting live to audiences around the world," he said.

CNN.com Live served 25 million video streams through 12 hours yesterday, blasting its previous record of 5.3 million streams over 24 hours on Election Day. But the cable news network couldn't accommodate everyone, so there was an online "waiting room" that delayed requests for video streams for as long as 20 minutes. Similarly, social networks Twitter and Facebook also reported record traffic.

On CBSNews.com's Political Hotsheet, James M. Klatell wrote that the "much talked-about online video coverage of the event almost ground to a halt." He added that perhaps "we're not as far into the Internet age as we thought, because for the 20 or so minutes surrounding the big moment, it was hard, if not impossible," to watch it live online. He reported that CBSNews.com experienced streaming difficulties around the time of the swearing-in because of the volume.

Cell Networks Survived

The cell-phone networks bulged with the excess demand but seem to have made it through the day. For months, the major providers had increased capacity and planned rerouting of calls to accommodate the expected crunch.

CTIA, the wireless industry association, had issued tips for the day, including "Text, Don't Talk," "Snap and Save, Send Later," and, to avoid losing track of your friends or family, "Have a Back-Up Plan," such as an agreed-upon rendezvous place or plans to move to areas with less traffic congestion.

There were no reported major failures, although Sprint said by midday that it was experiencing a 211 percent increase in traffic around the National Mall, where the inauguration was viewed. Sprint added that there were some delays, but generally things went well, with the volume dropping after the ceremony concluded. Similarly, Verizon Wireless said its volume tripled.

Laura DiDio, an analyst with industry research firm Information Technology Intelligence Corps, said she expected the inauguration to become a marker for the Web and cell industries, as well as a boasting point for specific companies. By the time of the next inauguration, she said, we may have new markers, with broadband wireless networks more prevalent, and a greater integration of text and other communications to accompany video streams.