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9h ago

AOL to Retire Its Dial-Up Internet Service This September

Driven by near-universal broadband use alongside plunging subscriber numbers under Yahoo/Apollo ownership, AOL’s dial-up service will end on Sept. 30, leaving rural or low-income users to find new connectivity.

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The AOL website on a computer screen in Cali, Colombia, May 21st, 2013.
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Overview

  • AOL announced that its dial-up Internet service along with the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser will cease on September 30, 2025.
  • Yahoo and AOL say the termination applies only to dial-up and does not affect free email accounts or other AOL products.
  • U.S. Census Bureau data from 2023 show approximately 163,000 households still rely solely on dial-up, many in broadband-underserved areas.
  • AOL provided no detailed explanation beyond routine product evaluation, but reporting points to widespread broadband and mobile adoption as the primary driver.
  • Remaining subscribers have just over a month to switch to alternatives such as satellite or cellular internet or smaller dial-up providers before the shutdown.