Certain internet brands have become household names. Google is obviously one of them, along with Facebook and the other social networks we use every day.
There’s an older player in the game, though, whose name was once synonymous with the internet itself. For 32 years, this company has been offering a service that was once relied upon by millions.
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Now, however, that service is coming to an end. It is truly the end of an era and reflects a marked shift in how the internet operates.
And the end date is near, as there’s only around another month left for this iconic service to operate.
Onetime internet giant ends service after 32 years
While the sunsetting brand was once the face of the internet, the reality is that not many will even notice the unceremonious end of its run. That’s because many, or perhaps most of us, weren’t even aware this service was still offered at all.
That service is dial-up internet offered by America Online, or AOL. AOL revealed that it would stop offering dial-up service effective September 30, stating the following:
“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. As a result, on September 30, 2025 this service and the associated software, the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which are optimized for older operating systems and dial-up internet connections, will be discontinued.”
Other AOL services will remain unaffected, as the company stated, “This change will not affect any other benefits in your AOL plan, which you can access any time on your AOL plan dashboard. To manage or cancel your account, visit MyAccount.”
How many people are still using dial-up internet service?
Virtually everyone of a certain age is familiar with AOL, along with the classic noises the dial-up internet made as your modem got connected. The reality is that dial-up internet service has been less than popular for a long time.
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It is, however, still a service some people rely on. In fact, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, around 163,000 households still used dial-up for their internet service at the time.
That was around 0.1% of all of the households in the United States that have internet service.
Why are people still using dial-up internet?
Although it may seem hard to believe that people were still getting online via AOL, there are some benefits to dial-up, and some people remained committed to using the product.
Those most likely to connect to the internet using dial-up included:
- Rural users who are in an area where there is no broadband internet
- People who cannot afford the cost of broadband internet, which can total hundreds of dollars monthly
- People who don’t need high-speed internet. This could include older people who just want a cheap, easy way to connect to the internet and get their email.
Unfortunately, some of those people may be left without a ton of options when AOL shuts down dial-up for good.
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For the rest of us who connect via broadband, the end of this iconic internet service, which was first rolled out around 1993, is more of a reflection on how far technology has come.
And one Reddit user perfectly summed up how many may be feeling as the AOL dial-up era officially comes to a close: “The sound of it dialing up lives rent free in my head.”
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