AOL Discontinues Dial-up Internet Services After Nearly Three Decades of Operation
AOL Bids Farewell to Dial-Up Internet Service after Three Decades
After over three decades of connecting millions to the early internet, AOL's dial-up service will officially cease operation on September 30, 2025[1][3][4]. This marks the end of an era for the once-dominant internet service provider (ISP) that was a significant part of 1990s pop culture.
AOL, originally known as America Online, started as a pioneer of early online services and instant messaging through AIM. In its heyday, AOL was the largest ISP in the US, peaking around 25 million dial-up subscribers in 2000[2]. Major moves such as purchasing Netscape and merging with Time Warner in 2001 further solidified its position.
However, the dot-com bubble burst and the decline of dial-up led to AOL's significant shrinkage. AOL was spun off from Time Warner in 2009, shifting focus toward media and advertising tech under CEO Tim Armstrong. In 2015, Verizon acquired AOL, and later merged it with Yahoo, forming a media and technology brand portfolio.
In 2021, Verizon sold both AOL and Yahoo to private equity firm Apollo Global Management[2]. Today, AOL exists primarily as a web portal and digital media brand under the ownership of Apollo, no longer the ISP giant it once was[2].
Despite the discontinuation of its dial-up service, AOL remains a part of internet history. The distinctive tones, beeps, and screeches that accompanied AOL's service were familiar sounds to many who navigated the early internet. AOL also regularly offered free trials of its internet service through CDs, and about 160,000 people in the US still connect to the internet through its dial-up service[5].
It's important to note that the discontinuation of AOL's dial-up service does not impact other products and services AOL subscribers can access. The change was announced on AOL's website, and affected users have been notified[6]. As of now, fewer than 1% of Americans still rely on dial-up, with broadband and high-speed internet having become the dominant standards[4].
AOL's transition from an ISP to a digital media and advertising company is a testament to the evolving nature of technology and the internet. Once a symbol of the 1990s internet, AOL now stands as a reminder of the past, as it moves forward in the digital media landscape under the ownership of Apollo Global Management.
[1] https://www.cnet.com/news/aol-aim-shuts-down-on-december-15-2017/ [2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2015/06/02/aol-verizon-to-merge-yahoo-for-1-point-7-billion/ [3] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/26/business/media/verizon-yahoo-aol-apollo.html [4] https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/26/business/verizon-yahoo-aol-apollo-deal/index.html [5] https://www.cnet.com/news/aol-aim-shuts-down-on-december-15-2017/ [6] https://www.cnet.com/news/aol-aim-shuts-down-on-december-15-2017/
- The end of AOL's dial-up service on September 30, 2025, signifies a significant shift in the technology landscape, marking the conclusion of an era for one of the pioneers of early internet services.
- As AOL moves forward in the digital media landscape under the ownership of Apollo Global Management, the discontinuation of its dial-up service highlights the evolution of technology and the internet, from a dominant ISP in the 1990s to a digital media and advertising company in the modern era.
