AOL shuts down its iconic dial-up internet service

In the United States, AOL officially ended its dial-up internet service on September 30, 2023. This decision followed a previous announcement in August 2023, in which AOL indicated that it would routinely evaluate its offerings and decided to discontinue dial-up and related software. This marked a significant moment, considering that AOL introduced many households to the internet with its innovative dial-up services back in the 1990s and early 2000s. Dial-up was characterized by its distinctive connection sounds and limitations, such as being disconnected if someone picked up the landline phone. Although AOL was the largest dial-up provider at its peak, broadband and wireless technologies have since emerged as more reliable options for internet access. By 2023, Census Bureau data revealed that around 163,401 households in the U.S. still relied on dial-up to connect to the internet, representing a mere 0.13% of homes with internet subscriptions. With the discontinuation of AOL's dial-up service, many nostalgic users expressed their farewells on social media, reminiscing about the era of dial-up and its place in the history of internet access. AOL, once a major player in the tech industry, has seen a dramatic decline since its earlier dominance and is now a subsidiary of Yahoo, which has also shifted focus in the evolving digital landscape. Users are now directed to alternative internet service providers, some of which continue to maintain dial-up offerings despite the declining demand.