AOL will finally end 1991 dial-up Internet service that’s older than smartphones

In a significant shift for internet connectivity, AOL has announced the discontinuation of its dial-up modem service, set to take effect on September 30, 2025. This decision marks the end of an era for a technology that served as a primary entry point to the online world for millions of users during the 1990s and early 2000s. The company confirmed the shutdown in a message to its customers, stating, "AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet. This service will no longer be available in AOL plans." Originally launched as "America Online" in 1991, AOL's dial-up service was deeply intertwined with the early development of the Internet, which at the time was largely text-based. As the World Wide Web evolved, AOL’s service adapted alongside it, reaching a peak of over 20 million subscribers in the early 2000s. However, as broadband technology gained traction, the number of dial-up users began to dwindle. In addition to ending its dial-up service, AOL will also retire its AOL Dialer software and the AOL Shield browser on the same date. The Dialer facilitated connections to AOL's network, while the Shield browser was specifically designed for slower connections and older systems. According to data from the 2022 US Census, around 175,000 households in the United States still rely on dial-up for internet access, often in rural areas where broadband options are limited or too costly to install. For these users, choices are scarce. Satellite Internet provides service to about 2–3 million subscribers across the country, offering faster speeds than dial-up but often at the expense of higher latency and data caps. While most urban users enjoy high-speed fiber-optic connections, the reliance on dial-up for some rural residents underscores the ongoing digital divide in America. Tasks that seem trivial in today's broadband age, like loading a modern website, can take minutes or may fail entirely for those still using dial-up technology from the mid-1990s.