AOL discontinues dial-up Internet after 30 years

After more than 30 year, AOL, the American web portal, has announced it will discontinue its dial-up Internet services at the end next month on September 30. AOL, the American web portal and online service provider, announced that it will discontinue its dial-up Internet service at the end of next month, on September 30. OfficiallyPulling the plug.

AOL announced on its support site that it has discontinued dial-up internet. This service is no longer available with AOL plans.

Anyone born after 1990 may not remember the frustratingly slow, noisy dial-up Internet. It was dial-up that introduced millennials, Gen Xers and boomers to the world of online. Dial-up was developed in the 1970s. It became more popular in the decades that followed, reaching its peak in the 1990s. It is now a part of 90s nostalgia, and has become an icon. AOL, previously America Online, was itself a symbol of that time. For example, the “You’ve received mail” message became a key feature of a simpler online world in those days, before the Internet was accessible at the touch of a button.

In recent years, other web icons of the 1990s have also been discontinued. AOL has now discontinued dial-up Internet along with Instant Messenger. Microsoft has also discontinued the video calling service Skype that was widely used in the 90s. Internet Explorer, an icon of the 1990s that was often criticized for being sluggish, is also going away in 2022.

Dial-up Internet is still available in a very small number of homes. In the 21st century, broadband internet service is the norm. It’s much faster and easier to hear, but those older than 30 may see the 90s through rose-colored glasses.