AOL has recently announced that it will discontinue dial-up internet services, including its associated software, before the end of the year. This announcement left many shocked that dial-up internet hadn’t been completely phased out over a decade ago. It may be easy to assume that the only remaining customers are those who forgot to discontinue their subscription or weren’t able to. As surprising as it is, however, there are still people and businesses actively accessing the internet in this antiquated fashion.
4
Some Businesses Still Use Dial-Up
Though dial-up has mostly been replaced by faster and more reliable options, based on a 2019 survey, less than 0.2% of the U.S. population continues to use dial-up to access the internet. If you’ve had to send a fax over a traditional fax machine in the last decade, you’ve used dial-up internet in the modern age.
Medical offices and law firms often prefer to use this method of communication for sensitive documents due to security concerns and legal factors. Traditional fax machines are more secure than modern electronic communication methods, including e-fax, because information is sent over telephone wires, which are harder to intercept. Additionally, physical, time-stamped documents are often viewed as more substantial in court than electronic versions.
Another instance in which you may have encountered dial-up in a contemporary setting is at independent gas stations, corner stores, and other such businesses. Whether due to the business’s physical location, familiarity with the system, or some other reason, owners of these smaller businesses may choose to stick with dial-up internet to run their point-of-sale system and card readers. These are typically the businesses known for long card transaction times, making cash the preferred option.
A more behind-the-scenes business use for dial-up internet is telemetry, or the automated process of gathering data from a remote sensor or sensors and transferring it to a receiver at a base location to be analyzed. The most common tech application for telemetry is to collect user data; however, it can also be used for remote diagnostics testing. Despite the many options for sending telemetry data, some tech companies still prefer using dial-up for this process.
3
Rural and Off-Grid Living
Getting online in a rural area or while living off the grid can be a pain, even with modern advances. As is the case with rural businesses, dial-up is one of the few options available for residential internet access in certain rural localities. Due to factors such as lack of usable infrastructure, high equipment and infrastructure costs, dangerous terrain, and low demand among residents, some of these communities are just now getting standard broadband options.
That said, you’re most likely to see evidence of households using satellite internet in these off-grid areas. It still doesn’t compare to broadband speed, but it is considerably faster than dial-up. Additionally, fiber optic and cellular options, such as 5G home internet, are becoming more accessible in areas closer to metropolitan localities. Yet, some residents continue to stick it out with dial-up services. Though familiarity can certainly be a factor, it often comes down to cost when compared to usage.
Both NetZero and DSL Extreme offer unlimited dial-up plans for less than $15 a month, compared to the plans found with available broadband and satellite internet providers, which start at around $50 a month. In all fairness, unlimited dial-up internet isn’t much internet at all, with speeds maxing out at under 1 Mbps. With other available options, users can get at least 10 Mbps and often much more. However, for some, simply being able to access the internet every once in a while is all that’s needed, and dial-up provides exactly that at the right price.
2
Backup Internet Option
Rural and off-grid living isn’t the only residential use for dial-up internet. Despite its many issues in the modern age, dial-up makes a good backup option for when your preferred route of internet access is inaccessible. Many regions of the U.S. and other countries are affected by controlled blackouts, also known as rolling blackouts. Other areas are frequently affected by natural disasters that cause blackouts and brownouts. While there are more modern ways to stay online in an outage, some prefer dial-up as a backup plan.
A portable power supply can be fairly costly, and other options require users to fuss with compatibility concerns or don’t provide the power needed. At the same time, paying $15 a month for a service that isn’t frequently used can sound ludicrous in today’s subscription-based world. In comes Juno and their free plan, which provides 10 hours a month of dial-up internet access. Just enough to reach out to family and friends in an emergency.
1
Vintage Computing and Gaming
Among residential internet users across the globe, there’s a small group of people who break away from today’s fast-paced world and slip back into simpler times by restoring vintage computers. Unlike building models or putting puzzles together, though, this hobby doesn’t always end when the project is complete. Vintage computer restoration hobbyists also enjoy vintage computing and gaming.
Vintage computing doesn’t necessarily mean vintage internet. Newer Wi-Fi cards can be installed, and when all else fails, there’s always the Ol’ Reliable—the Ethernet cable. And let’s not forget the important role emulators have played in bridging the gap between past and present. With the right emulators, vintage computer hobbyists can even access Bulletin Board Systems.
Other hobbyists, however, seek full immersion. The sound of the internet dialing out, waiting ever so patiently for a single page to load, and playing primarily text-based games, which brought players an entirely different experience from today’s games. Nothing quite like it. Some more enthusiastic hobbyists may even opt to build a home dial-up connection and avoid the possibility of losing service when providers decide to discontinue dial-up.
As startling as it may be to suddenly bid farewell to AOL’s dial-up services for a second time, it’s even more shocking that anyone needed to be notified of this change at all. Dial-up may not make up a significant percentage of internet subscriptions, but a handful of significant uses for dial-up remain. From business uses to rural living, disaster preparedness, and even the simple pleasure of revisiting a time long gone, dial-up still holds a special place in our hearts and our ears.
