Dial-Up’s Demise: Decades-Old AOL Service to End This September
After 34 years, AOL’s dial-up internet service will be discontinued on September 30. Yahoo, which owns AOL, announced the decision on its website, stating that it was part of its “regular review of products and services.” The Verge reported the development.
On the same date, related software—including AOL Dialer and AOL Shield Browser, the latter designed for older operating systems and dial-up connections—will also be shut down.
Launched in 1991, the service was once a defining symbol of the internet for millions in the United States and around the world. In a surprising statistic, a 2019 survey found that nearly 265,000 people in the U.S. were still using dial-up at the time.
Experts say the end of AOL’s dial-up marks the close of a significant chapter in internet culture.
