AOL is finally shutting down its dial-up internet service

AOL’s dial-up internet is finally taking its last bow. Yes, while perhaps a dinosaur by today’s digital standards, dial-up is still around. But AOL says it’s officially pulling the plug for its service on Sept. 30, with AOL noting in a brief update that it “routinely evaluates” its offerings and had decided to discontinue dial-up on AOL plans and associated software. AOL, formerly America Online, introduced many households to the internet for the first time when it launched dial-up just decades ago, rising to prominence particularly in the 90s and early 2000s. The creaky door to the internet was characterized by a once-ubiquitous series of beeps and buzzes heard over the phone used to connect your computer online. Eventually, broadband and wireless offerings rose to dominance.