AOL Ends Dial-Up Internet Service
Once a pioneer of the Internet, AOL has announced the discontinuation of its dial-up internet service, signaling the end of an era in online connectivity.
More than four decades after it first offered dial-up access to millions worldwide, AOL, originally a service for Apple users in the 1980s, is winding down this iconic service. Many might be surprised to find that dial-up remained an option in the age of broadband and 5G, but the company reportedly still had thousands of users clinging to it.
According to recent updates on its support page, AOL will officially cease its Dial-Up Service, including its AOL Dialer and AOL Shield software, on September 30, 2025. While the company mentioned that it regularly assesses its offerings, it didn’t elaborate on why dial-up access is being discontinued. It seems that the prevalence of faster internet options might be a driving factor.
AOL’s story began in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, initially providing online services for the Atari 2600. After a brief period focusing on quantum computing, it launched AppleLink in 1988, connecting Macintosh computers. It later embraced PC links for IBM-compatible PCs and rebranded as America Online, or AOL, in 1989.
In contrast to Compuserve, AOL prided itself on being accessible for those who weren’t particularly tech-savvy. Back then, connection speeds were considerably slower than what we expect today, peaking at 56 kilobits per second under ideal conditions, but AOL did a great job of promoting their service during that time.
Throughout the ’90s, AOL experienced rapid growth as computers gained popularity, partly due to advances like graphical operating systems. Their marketing strategy, including distributing countless trial CDs, helped them gain a massive user base. By 1995, they had reached the 10 million customer mark and made key acquisitions like WebCrawler, Eworld, and Compuserve.
However, the emergence of broadband in the 2000s posed a serious challenge to dial-up providers. With cable and later smartphone internet access providing faster connections, dial-up seemed increasingly outdated. Still, AOL had about 2 million dial-up users at the time Verizon acquired it in 2015.
While dial-up faded into the background, it remained useful for low-income families and those in rural areas lacking broadband access. In 2021, after Apollo Global Management acquired some of Verizon’s assets, AOL was said to serve around 1.5 million paying customers, although most used the service for tech support and software rather than actual internet access. The number of active dial-up users had dwindled to just “thousands.”
