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Canada News.Net
13-08-2025
- Business
- Canada News.Net
End of an era: AOL to shut down its last dial-up connections
NEW YORK CITY, New York: AOL will officially shut down its dial-up internet service on September 30, marking the end of one of the earliest gateways to the web for millions of households. The decision closes a chapter in online history that began in the 1990s, when the company's beeps-and-buzzes connection sound became an iconic part of getting online. In a notice on its support site, AOL said it "routinely evaluates its products and services" and has decided to discontinue dial-up internet and related software "optimized for older operating systems." At its peak, AOL, formerly America Online, dominated the market, introducing countless users to the World Wide Web. The service became famous not only for its connection noises but also for its quirks, such as losing your connection if someone picked up the landline phone, and for the flood of promotional CDs offering free trial hours. While broadband and wireless eventually took over, dial-up never entirely vanished. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, about 163,401 U.S. households still used only dial-up to access the internet in 2023, representing just 0.13% of homes with internet subscriptions. AOL has long been the largest dial-up provider, but smaller ISPs still offer the service. The decline of dial-up mirrors the disappearance of other internet relics. AOL shut down its Instant Messenger service in 2017, Microsoft retired Internet Explorer in 2022, and Skype was discontinued earlier this year. AOL's "You've got mail" greeting, immortalized in the 1998 Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan film, remains a nostalgic hallmark for many. Founded in 1985 as Quantum Computer Services, AOL rebranded, went public in 1991, and became a titan of the dot-com era, hitting a market value of nearly $164 billion in 2000. However, a troubled merger with Time Warner and subsequent ownership changes saw its fortunes fall. Verizon acquired AOL in 2015, when it still had 2.1 million dial-up users, but by the time Verizon sold AOL and Yahoo to a private equity firm in 2021, that figure was "in the low thousands," according to a source cited by CNBC. Today, AOL continues to operate its free email service and paid subscriptions, offering identity protection and tech support. But for the few remaining customers relying on its phone-line-based internet, the September cutoff will mean finding a new way online, and for the broader public, it's a reminder of how far, and how fast, internet technology has evolved.
Qatar Tribune
12-08-2025
- Qatar Tribune
AOL is finally shutting down its dial-up internet service
Agencies AOL's dial-up internet is finally taking its last bow. Yes, while perhaps a dinosaur by today's digital standards, dial-up is still around. But AOL says it's officially pulling the plug for its service on Sept 30. 'AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,' AOL wrote in a brief update on its support site — noting that dial-up and associated software 'optimized for older operating systems' will soon be unavailable on AOL plans. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the world wide web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s. The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials. Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings emerged and rose to dominance, doing away with dial-up's quirks for most people accessing the internet a handful of consumers have continued to rely on internet services connected over telephone lines. In the U.S., according to Census Bureau data, an estimated 163,401 households were using dial-up alone to get online in 2023, representing just over 0.13% of all homes with internet subscriptions nationwide. AOL was the largest dial-up internet provider for some time, but not the only one to emerge over the years. Some smaller internet providers continue to offer dial-up today. Regardless, the decline of dial-up has been a long time coming. And AOL shutting down its service arrives as other relics of the internet's earlier days continue to disappear. Microsoft retired video calling service Skype just earlier this year, for example — as well as Internet Explorer back in 2022. And in 2017, AOL discontinued its Instant Messenger a chat platform that was once lauded as the biggest trend in online communication.
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Time of India
AOL is finally shutting down its dial-up internet service
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips NEW YORK: AOL 's dial-up internet is finally taking its last bow. Yes, while perhaps a dinosaur by today's digital standards, dial-up is still around. But AOL says it's officially pulling the plug for its service on Sept. 30. "AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet," AOL wrote in a brief update on its support site - noting that dial-up and associated software "optimized for older operating systems" will soon be unavailable on AOL plans. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the world wide web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s. The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone used to connect your computer online - along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials. Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings emerged and rose to dominance, doing away with dial-up's quirks for most people accessing the internet today. Still, a handful of consumers have continued to rely on internet services connected over telephone lines. In the U.S., according to Census Bureau data, an estimated 163,401 households were using dial-up alone to get online in 2023, representing just over 0.13% of all homes with internet subscriptions nationwide. AOL was the largest dial-up internet provider for some time, but not the only one to emerge over the years. Some smaller internet providers continue to offer dial-up today. Regardless, the decline of dial-up has been a long time coming. And AOL shutting down its service arrives as other relics of the internet's earlier days continue to disappear. Microsoft retired video calling service Skype just earlier this year, for example - as well as Internet Explorer back in 2022. And in 2017, AOL discontinued its Instant Messenger - a chat platform that was once lauded as the biggest trend in online communication since email when it was founded in 1997, but later struggled to ward off rivals. AOL itself is far from the dominant internet player it was decades ago - when, beyond dial-up and IMs, the company also became known for its "You've got mail" catchphrase that greeted users who checked their inboxes, as famously displayed in the 1998 film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan by the same name. Before it was America Online, AOL was founded as Quantum Computer Services in 1985. It soon rebranded and hit the public market in 1991. Near the height of the dot-com boom, AOL's market value reached nearly $164 billion in 2000. But tumultuous years followed, and that valuation plummeted as the once-tech pioneer bounced between multiple owners. After a disastrous merger with Time Warner Inc., Verizon acquired AOL - which later sold AOL, along with Yahoo, to a private equity firm. At the time Verzion announced that sale to in 2021, an anonymous source familiar with the transaction told CNBC that the number of AOL dial-up users was "in the low thousands," down from 2.1 million when Verzion first moved to acquire AOL in 2015 - and far below peak demand seen back in the 90s and early 2000s. But beyond dial-up, AOL continues to offer its free email services, as well as subscriptions that advertise identity protection and other tech support.
Boston Globe
11-08-2025
- Boston Globe
AOL is finally shutting down its dial-up internet service
'AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,' AOL wrote in a brief update on its support site — noting that dial-up and associated software 'optimized for older operating systems' will soon be unavailable on AOL plans. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the world wide web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s. The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings emerged and rose to dominance, doing away with dial-up's quirks for most people accessing the internet today. Advertisement Still, a handful of consumers have continued to rely on internet services connected over telephone lines. In the U.S., according to Census Bureau data, an estimated 163,401 households were using dial-up alone to get online in 2023, representing just over 0.13% of all homes with internet subscriptions nationwide. AOL was the largest dial-up internet provider for some time, but not the only one to emerge over the years. Some smaller internet providers continue to offer dial-up today. Regardless, the decline of dial-up has been a long time coming. And AOL shutting down its service arrives as other relics of the internet's earlier days continue to disappear. Advertisement Microsoft retired video calling service Skype just earlier this year, for example — as well as Internet Explorer back in 2022. And in 2017, AOL discontinued its Instant Messenger — a chat platform that was once lauded as the biggest trend in online communication since email when it was founded in 1997, but later struggled to ward off rivals. AOL itself is far from the dominant internet player it was decades ago — when, beyond dial-up and IMs, the company also became known for its 'You've got mail' catchphrase that greeted users who checked their inboxes, as famously displayed in the 1998 film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan by the same name. Before it was America Online, AOL was founded as Quantum Computer Services in 1985. It soon rebranded and hit the public market in 1991. Near the height of the dot-com boom, AOL's market value reached nearly $164 billion in 2000. But tumultuous years followed, and that valuation plummeted as the once-tech pioneer bounced between multiple owners. After a disastrous merger with Time Warner Inc., Verizon acquired AOL — which later sold AOL, along with Yahoo, to a private equity firm. At the time Verzion announced that sale to in 2021, an anonymous source familiar with the transaction told CNBC that the number of AOL dial-up users was 'in the low thousands,' down from 2.1 million when Verzion first moved to acquire AOL in 2015 — and far below peak demand seen back in the 90s and early 2000s. But beyond dial-up, AOL continues to offer its free email services, as well as subscriptions that advertise identity protection and other tech support. Advertisement
Japan Today
11-08-2025
- Japan Today
AOL is finally shutting down its dial-up internet service
FILE - The AOL logo is shown on a wall of the company's New York office, on Monday, May 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File) By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AOL's dial-up internet is finally taking its last bow. Yes, while perhaps a dinosaur by today's digital standards, dial-up is still around. But AOL says it's officially pulling the plug for its service on Sept 30. "AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet," AOL wrote in a brief update on its support site — noting that dial-up and associated software 'optimized for older operating systems" will soon be unavailable on AOL plans. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the world wide web for the first time when its dial-up service launched decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s. The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone used to connect your computer online — along with frustrations of being kicked off the web if anyone else at home needed the landline for another call, and an endless bombardment of CDs mailed out by AOL to advertise free trials. Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings emerged and rose to dominance, doing away with dial-up's quirks for most people accessing the internet today. Still, a handful of consumers have continued to rely on internet services connected over telephone lines. In the U.S., according to Census Bureau data, an estimated 163,401 households were using dial-up alone to get online in 2023, representing just over 0.13% of all homes with internet subscriptions nationwide. AOL was the largest dial-up internet provider for some time, but not the only one to emerge over the years. Some smaller internet providers continue to offer dial-up today. Regardless, the decline of dial-up has been a long time coming. And AOL shutting down its service arrives as other relics of the internet's earlier days continue to disappear. Microsoft retired video calling service Skype just earlier this year, for example — as well as Internet Explorer back in 2022. And in 2017, AOL discontinued its Instant Messenger — a chat platform that was once lauded as the biggest trend in online communication since email when it was founded in 1997, but later struggled to ward off rivals. AOL itself is far from the dominant internet player it was decades ago — when, beyond dial-up and IMs, the company also became known for its 'You've got mail' catchphrase that greeted users who checked their inboxes, as famously displayed in the 1998 film starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan by the same name. Before it was America Online, AOL was founded as Quantum Computer Services in 1985. It soon rebranded and hit the public market in 1991. Near the height of the dot-com boom, AOL's market value reached nearly $164 billion in 2000. But tumultuous years followed, and that valuation plummeted as the once-tech pioneer bounced between multiple owners. After a disastrous merger with Time Warner Inc., Verizon acquired AOL — which later sold AOL, along with Yahoo, to a private equity firm. At the time Verzion announced that sale to in 2021, an anonymous source familiar with the transaction told CNBC that the number of AOL dial-up users was 'in the low thousands," down from 2.1 million when Verzion first moved to acquire AOL in 2015 — and far below peak demand seen back in the 90s and early 2000s. But beyond dial-up, AOL continues to offer its free email services, as well as subscriptions that advertise identity protection and other tech support. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
