AOL discontinues dial-up service after a long run of 34 years in the sector
AOL Bids Farewell to Dial-up Internet Service
After over three decades of operation, AOL, the American online service provider, has announced the discontinuation of its dial-up internet service, set to take place on September 30, 2025. This decision comes as a result of the obsolescence of dial-up technology and the dwindling user base, primarily found in rural or remote areas where broadband is unavailable.
AOL's dial-up internet service, a relic of the internet in the era of the 1990s and early 2000s, peaked in subscriber count before the start of 2002, boasting around 30 million users in a single year after the deal with Time Warner in 2000. However, the number of dial-up users in the U.S. has been on a steady decline, dropping from 265,000 in 2019 to 163,000 by 2023.
In addition to the shutdown of the dial-up modem service, AOL will also terminate support for its AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser on the same date (September 30, 2025). The AOL Dialer software becomes unusable without the dial-up service, and the AOL Shield browser, which was optimized for older operating systems and slower connections, is also being discontinued.
| Date | Event | Details | |---------------------|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | Sept 30, 2025 | Shutdown of AOL dial-up internet service | Ends 34-year-old dial-up access via telephone lines | | Sept 30, 2025 | Discontinuation of AOL Dialer software | Dialer becomes obsolete without dial-up service | | Sept 30, 2025 | Discontinuation of AOL Shield browser | Browser optimized for older OS and slow connections ends |
The shutdown marks the end of an iconic era in early internet connectivity, symbolized by AOL’s famous sounds and catchphrases like "You've got mail." This decision may impact those who were age-associates of the World Wide Web (WWW) during the dial-up era.
AOL joined Time Warner in an unexpected deal in the year 2000, but the company was later acquired by Verizon in 2009. Verizon united AOL with Yahoo in a subsequent deal. The discontinuation of AOL's dial-up internet service affects only a small portion of its services, as the company continues to offer various digital products and services.
- Those who were age-associates of the World Wide Web during the dial-up era may be impacted by the shutdown of AOL's dial-up internet service.
- While AOL was acquired by Verizon in 2009, the discontinuation of its dial-up internet service only affects a small portion of its services, as the company continues to offer various digital products and services.
- The discontinuation of AOL's dial-up internet service marks the end of an iconic era in early internet connectivity, symbolized by AOL’s famous sounds and catchphrases like "You've got mail."
- The decision to discontinue AOL's dial-up internet service comes as a result of the obsolescence of dial-up technology and the dwindling user base, primarily found in rural or remote areas where broadband is unavailable.
