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2w ago

AOL to Retire Dial-Up Service and Legacy Software on September 30

Remaining dial-up users in underserved areas must secure alternative connections before the service ends on September 30, 2025.

A collection of CDs advertising AOL's dial-up internet services
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The AOL home page is displayed on a user's computer in Palo Alto, Calif., Thursday, May 28, 2009. Time Warner Inc. is dumping AOL after spending nearly a decade trying to build a new-age media empire only to wind up in a weaker position than when the marriage began. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Overview

  • AOL, owned by Yahoo, confirmed in early August that it will discontinue dial-up internet in certain legacy AOL Advantage, CompuServe and Netscape Connect plans and retire the AOL Dialer software and Shield browser on September 30, 2025.
  • The U.S. Census Bureau estimated about 163,401 American homes—approximately 0.13 percent of internet subscriptions—were still using dial-up in 2023.
  • Many of the final dial-up subscribers live in rural or infrastructure-poor areas where broadband or cellular alternatives are limited or unavailable.
  • Technology analyst Carmi Levy warns the shutdown will be “seismic” for users who have never migrated off dial-up and rely on it as their sole internet access.
  • AOL’s free email and other non-dial-up services will remain active even after the legacy software and connection service are phased out.