Overview

• AOL announced it will retire its dial-up internet service on September 30, 2025, and discontinue the AOL Dialer software and Shield browser.
• U.S. Census Bureau data show about 160,000 Americans still rely on dial-up connections through their landlines as of 2023.
• At its peak, AOL dial-up delivered up to 56 kilobits per second under ideal conditions, a fraction of today’s megabit and gigabit-scale broadband speeds.
• The phase-out marks the end of an era that popularized features like instant messaging and the iconic “You’ve Got Mail” greeting.
• Since its 1991 launch as America Online, the company has navigated mergers with Time Warner, Verizon and Apollo Global Management, reflecting its evolving role in the internet landscape.