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4h ago

AOL Retires Dial-Up Internet After Decades of Service

Other AOL services, including email, remain available.

An ad for free email is seen on the AOL website on Aug. 2, 2006.
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Overview

  • AOL discontinued its dial-up internet on Sept. 30, 2025, describing the move as a routine product review decision.
  • The shutdown also retires the AOL Dialer and AOL Shield browser, software built for older systems and dial-up connections.
  • Recent U.S. Census data suggest roughly 163,000 households still rely on dial-up, often in rural or broadband-poor areas.
  • CNBC has reported only a few thousand paying AOL dial-up customers remained, while AOL continues to sell tech support and identity services.
  • The change affects the dial-up component of certain legacy AOL, CompuServe, and Netscape Connect plans, with other plan benefits unchanged and account management available via the AOL dashboard.