AOL ditching dial-up service, a relic of the internet in the ’90s and early ’00s

CNBC ^ | August 11, 2025 | Phil Helsel

[PLMerite]

I’m boxing up stuff to move. Yesterday I opened a box and inside was my Verizon DSL Modem.

I hope they haven’t been waiting all these years for me to send it back...

I also have a DSL phone filter around here somewhere.

[Red Badger]

Send it to the Smithsonian................

[Salman]

Didn’t know AOL was still in business.

[cva66snipe]

On a more somber note the reason it is shutting down. AT&T are shutting down their land line phone service. Quietly but certainly they have stopped maintaining all but major trunking data cables. This may seem trivial and a big so what for many. But for rural communities who relay on landlines for 911 services due to lack of any other options it's a serious issue. Cell service is hit and miss in rural areas especially ones in mountains and ridges. Cable such as COMCAST? They were allowed to use Rural Connection funds to run cable to already planned developments. The schmucks on the side roads can fork over $15K-$30K to them for running a cable to their roads.

I traded dial up for Satellite back in 2016 and it served me well. Now trees are growing up and VIASAT informed me at my recent one and only service call to fiz a coax issue that they would not upgrade my system. Starlink and a couple days with a chain saw may make their service possible when the time comes as Starlinks north alignment overcomes my terrain issues. In the mean time people less than a quarter mile away enjoy the X-Finity/Comcast service that my taxes and fees subsidized in the rural connect programs in the new subdivisions.

My AT&T cable servicing all customers on my road fell to the ground 5 years ago and they ain't been back. I use my cell to connected to my satellite WIFI for home service. because like COMCAST the cell companies snookered rural citizens taxes and fees as well to obtain "CHOICE" rural customers.

[Red Badger]

Just remember Biden’s billions that were spent on EV Chargers...........

[Billthedrill]

Well...I guess I can stop trying to figure out how to put a cell phone into an acoustic coupler...

[Red Badger]

[cva66snipe]

Just remember Biden’s billions that were spent on EV Chargers...........

Oh, I'm reminded of it daily when I drive up to Norris Dam and see the "FREE" EV stations. This from a federal utility who did rolling blackouts the first time in his history a few Christmases ago. The same federal agency that when Norris Dam was built in the 1930's refused electricity to my grandparents and Mom who was still young living about 5 miles from the dam because it would spoil the scenic value of the area. They finally got power I think after WW2.

[Red Badger]

https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/biden-admins-7-5-billion-ev-initiative-built-fewer-than-400-charging-ports-in-3-years-watchdog-says/

[TangoLimaSierra]

I had no idea AOL still existed!

I have a friend who still only has an AOL email address.

[cva66snipe]

The EV, Solar Farms, Wind Farms, have been a criminal act done upon this nation. I have enough electrical background even as a maintenance mechanic to understand the massive amount of power the nation needs. We do not have the grid for EV’s. Solar and Wind could never provide anything beyond a small fraction of meeting that demand. The whole thing has been one huge fleece the taxpayer rip off the DEMs have played for nearly three decades now every time they get in the White House.

[murron]

We still have AT&T land line that I want to get rid of but my husband insists on keeping. I hope AT&T gets rid of it for me.

[citizen]

I guess I can unplug my 56k modem now.

[citizen]

My first was EarthLink...in the Atlanta area. They had a national presence for a while until they got bought out.

[cva66snipe]

It works when WIFI won't. It's power source is at the company. If you need 911 services at home it is the most reliable. Cable companies phones won't work and cell can be tricky in many places.

When AT&T was busted up it did more harm splitting it up than good. AT&T owns far more than it did before their forced split up. They bought back all their Bell System and bought more as well as cellular services.

AT&T up until the split was ran like a utility. Meaning ample manpower to maintain their lines and equipment. When AT&T split the workers who went with AT&T were retired or laid off within two years. When they bought up what they had before same process. Nothing is being maintained. My dad did 45 years with Southern Bell, South Central Bell, and Bellsouth under their name changes. Dad stayed with Bell South until retirement. Ironically thereafter AT&T bought BellSouth and his retirement came from there afterwards.

Under the old system everyone who paid a minimal fee got service whether rural or city. They could not charge for extra poles etc. Look in my previous post and see what X-Finity wanted to charge me for service to my road $30K until they ran a few more spans and got to my road and then only wanted $15k from people on my road for service.