AOL Ends Dial-Up Internet Service After 30 Years

AOL announced it will discontinue its dial-up internet service and associated software on September 30, 2025, ending over 30 years of providing landline-based online connectivity. Despite the service's iconic status and nostalgic value, only about 163,000 households still rely on dial-up, representing roughly 1% of all household internet subscriptions. The decision reflects the widespread availability of much faster broadband connections, with average speeds hundreds to thousands of times faster than dial-up. AOL, once a dominant internet company known for its dial-up access and the famous 'You've Got Mail' greeting, is now owned by a private equity firm alongside Yahoo. The closure also marks the end of AOL’s dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which supported older systems reliant on dial-up. While the move impacts few users today, it symbolizes the final chapter of an era that introduced millions to the internet in the 1990s.