(qlmbusinessnews.com . Tue 12th Aug, 2025) London, UK —
From Dial-Up to Shutdown: AOL Closes Chapter on Iconic Internet Service as of September 30
AOL, once a beacon guiding households in the United States to the shores of the internet, is set to discontinue its dial-up service, the very tool through which many experienced the online world for the first time.
The service, which connects users to the internet via a traditional phone line, is currently operational exclusively in the US and Canada, but not for much longer. Launched over three decades ago, AOL's dial-up became iconic for its distinctive start-up sounds, though it has been largely overtaken by speedier broadband alternatives in recent years.
According to government data from 2023, dial-up connections in the US have dwindled to fewer than 300,000, a stark contrast to the more than 300 million broadband connections. “AOL routinely reviews its product and service portfolio and has taken the decision to phase out Dial-up Internet,” stated the company in a communication to its subscribers in the US and Canada on a recent Friday.
The service will cease to be included in AOL's offerings come 30 September, the company further disclosed.
Steve Case, AOL's co-founder who oversaw the company's expansion during the 1990s, took to social media to bid farewell to the service, commenting, “Thanks for the memories RIP.”
In its heyday, AOL adopted aggressive marketing tactics, famously distributing free trial discs to mailboxes across America. At one point, it was responsible for nearly 40% of the online engagement time of American users. The company reached its zenith in 2001 with over 30 million subscribers, around the time it entered into a widely criticized merger with Time Warner.
However, AOL's dominance began to wane as broadband started gaining popularity. By 2003, the decline of dial-up was being publicly noted, with even the Wall Street Journal announcing its inevitable demise.
AOL's influence in the UK also saw a downward spiral, losing its leading position as an internet service provider in 1999, and eventually selling its UK operations in 2006. After severing ties with Time Warner in 2009, AOL was acquired by Verizon in 2015, which aimed to leverage its mobile technology. It was subsequently integrated with Yahoo, with both entities now under the ownership of Apollo Global.
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