Older generations remember the sound of dial-up internet from the 90s and early 2000s, but what was once the soundtrack to an era is coming to an end.

On Sept. 30, AOL would discontinue its dial-up internet, the provider stated on its website.

"This service will no longer be available in AOL plans," the company stated. Because of the discontinuation, "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 company says on the page that the shutdown follows a routine evaluation of its products and services.

Here's what users should know about the change and how it may affect their plan.

What is changing?

Starting on Sept. 30, dial-up internet will no longer be included in AOL's internet plans.

As a result, the following will also be discontinued, according to AOL:

  • AOL Dialer software
  • AOL Shield browser

This change will not affect any other benefits in your AOL plan, which you can access any time on your AOL plan dashboard," AOL stated in its release. "To manage or cancel your account, visit MyAccount."

How many people use dial-up today?

In 2023, the government estimated that around 300,000 people in the United States still used dial-up internet, while 300 million used broadband service, reported the BBC.

The history of dial-up

The hum and whir of a dial-up modem was how many people first connected to the internet.

At its height, a dial-up connection could manage up to 56 kilobits per second under ideal conditions, according to Apple Insider. Modern connections are measured up to gigabits per second.

The consumer-friendly internet connection service provided what the tech news website called a "walled garden" internet experience through trial CDs in the early days of internet proliferation. According to Apple Insider, the company had 10 million customers by 1995.

New technologies and faster speeds rendered dial-up a connection of the past. As the technology landscape changed, so did the status of AOL.

AOL merged with Time Warner in 2000 at the height of the internet bubble. The failure of the merger, which caused Time Warner to spin out AOL in 2009, was so spectacular it led to retrospectives both 10 and 15 years later.

In 2015, Verizon purchased AOL for $4.4 billion. At the time, AOL still had 2.1 million dial-up customers, according to CNBC.

When Apollo Global Management purchased portions of Verizon Media assets, including AOL in 2021, the financial news outlet reported that dial-up users were down to "the low thousands."

'If we survived that noise, we can survive anything'

Dial-up was a staple for many millennials growing up. When AOL first made the announcement, many people took to social media to express their shock.

"R.I.P. Dial-Up Internet. 1991 - 2025," said one Reddit user on the website's Millennials forum. "Forever in our hearts."

"I didn't even know dial-up was still around," said another user.

The grating sound of the dial-up internet connecting is what most remember.

"Some of us here will never forget that iconic 56K modem sound," said one user in the forum. Another user said, "We grew up with dial-up internet. If we survived that noise, we can survive anything,"

Many also reminisced about sighing whenever a family member picked up the phone while you were connected to the internet.

"Don’t let someone in the house pick up the phone while you wait to connect ," one user chimed in. "MOM HANG UP THE PHONE IM ON THE INTERNET!" another user added.

Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers all things Labubu and Pop Mart, scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AOL hangs up the dial-up internet service (and sound) that defined an era

Reporting by Julia Gomez and James Powel, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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