A LONG-RUNNING internet provider that was huge in the late 90s and into the 00s is finally preparing to switch off.
At its peak the firm had more than 30million customers worldwide.
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But many people are surprised to learn that the service in question still exists to this day in some countries.
AOL has revealed plans to shut down its iconic dial-up internet service for good.
Its legacy AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser will be discontinued as a result too.
But the firm’s email has survived the cull and will continue as normal.
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AOL’s dial-up is set to end on September 30.
“AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,” the company said on its website.
“This service will no longer be available in AOL plans.
“As a result, on September 30, 2025 this service and the associated software, the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which are optimized for older operating systems and dial-up internet connections, will be discontinued.”
The move impacts the US and Canada, where the company has offered dial-up since 1991.
A few years later AOL made waves across the pond, with its famed “You have email” greeting voiced by Joanna Lumley for the UK and the AIM messenger.
AOL’s UK internet provider operation was bought by TalkTalk’s then-owners in 2006, which included 600,000 on dial-up and 1.5 million with broadband.
These were eventually rolled into the TalkTalk brand – but it’s not clear whether any of TalkTalk’s dial-up services still exist today.
The Sun has approached TalkTalk for clarity.
AOL LIVES ON – BUT NOT AS WE REMEMBER IT
Analysis by Jamie Harris, Assistant Technology and Science Editor at The Sun
AOL’s heyday is long gone but this big closure won’t see the brand disappear for good.
The company still exists as a web portal (also quite retro) and is owned by Yahoo (another little throwback).
For many like myself, AOL was their first entry into the internet world.
Waiting as the dial-up sound buzzed and crackled for a minute, before being greeted with a voice saying welcome – and none other than Joanna Lumley who voiced it in the UK, I realised only years later.
Like many of these legacy internet brands the one reason they seem to carry on is for one thing in particular – email.
Much like your phone number, people are anxious to change their email address and prefer to stick with what they have.
And for that reason, AOL will stick around for a bit longer yet.
