AOL ending its dial-up internet service: Here's what to know
End of an era: AOL ending dial-up internet service
AOL, a company once known as 'America Online,' is discontinuing its dial-up internet service after decades. Officials with Yahoo say very few customers were still using the service, as broadband connections have become the norm.
PHOENIX - In what can be described as the end of an era, the company formerly known as "America Online" is ending its dial-up internet service.
Here's what to know about AOL's decision, and what is dial-up internet.
What is AOL?
The backstory:
According to the Associated Press, AOL rose to prominence in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the firm having introduced many households to the web for the first time with its dial-up internet service.
"The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials," read a portion of the article.
Why is AOL ending the service?
What they're saying:
In a statement explaining the discontinuation, officials with AOL say the company "routinely evaluates its products and services," and decided to discontinue the service.
When will the service be discontinued?
What's next:
Per the statement, AOL's dial-up internet service will end on Sept. 30, 2025.
Along with the dial-up internet service, officials with the firm say software associated with the service will also be discontinued, including AOL Dialer and AOL Shield.
What's dial-up internet?
Dig deeper:
According to Lenovo's website, dial-up is a technology that is used to connect to the web via a standard telephone line.
"It works by dialing a specific phone number provided by an internet service provider (ISP) and establishing a connection through a modem," the website states.
As mentioned before in this article, dial-up internet users are greeted with a rather unique sound during the process of connecting to the web.
What are the pros and cons of dial-up?
Per whatsmyip.com, an advantage of dial-up internet is its availability, as users can access it anywhere that phone lines exist, at least during a time when dial-up internet service was widespread.
The other side:
The article, however, also lists speed as a disadvantage for dial-up internet, with the article describing dial-up as "the slowest type of Internet connection available," and that, due to its slow speed, video streaming and online gaming may be impossible with dial-up internet.
Another disadvantage of dial-up internet in this day and age is lack of support. According to the website TechRadar, Apple ceased offering guidance on how to set up a dial-up modem in 2022, with the release of that year's macOS operating system.
By the numbers:
Per the website highspeedinternet.com, dial-up speeds do not reach over 56 kilobits per second (kbps).
According to the Broadband Speed Guide released by the Federal Communications Commission, a minimum download speed of one megabit per second (mbps) is considered to be the minimum requirement for adequate performance for general web browsing and e-mail. For streaming high definition video, that minimum requirement increases to at least 5mbps.
How fast can internet get in the U.S. these days?
Dig deeper:
According to an article published by Ooma, the average U.S. internet speed stands at 214 Mbps in 2025.
Some internet service providers, like Cox and Google Fiber, are now offering internet with gigabit speeds in some parts of the country.
How many people still use dial-up?
By the numbers:
According to the AP, Census Bureau data show that in 2023, an estimated 163,401 households were still using dial-up exclusively to get online. That represents around 0.13% of all homes in the U.S. with internet subscriptions.