After 40 years, AOL has put to rest a service that was vital in shaping modern technology : dial-up internet.

“AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,” the company announced in August .

“ ... 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.”

While many internet users may not remember (or are not old enough to have used) a dial-up internet service, for those who have and do remember — the announcement serves as a glaring sign of the times.

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Dial-up internet took off

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