2.1 Million Americans Subscribe to AOL Dialup Internet

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
75,412
There’s good news and there’s bad news. The bad news is there are still 2.1 Million Internet users that depend on AOL dialup for their Internet connection. The good news is that number is shrinking each year.

More than 2.1 million Americans are still paying about $20 per month for Internet access at the leisurely speed of 56 kilobits per second.
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Wow...
They wish that steps were taken to evolve with the market and retain the number of customers they had 20 years ago.
 
Well it's understandable. 15 years ago $20 only got you dial-up. Nowadays, $20 only gets you dial-up.
 
tetris42 said:
Well it's understandable. 15 years ago $20 only got you dial-up. Nowadays, $20 only gets you dial-up.
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Not necessarily true. I live out in the country and am fortunate enough to be close enough for DSL. I pay $19.99/month for 3Mbps DSL.

Is it slow compared to fiber or 25 or 50Mbps cable? You bet your ass. But its the best option where I live. No data caps. I can actually stream Netflix 90% of the time well and way better than Dial Up and Satellite.

I would get faster if I could. I can't. I would say a 50-75% of those people literally have no other option but Dial Up (although they can go elsewhere from AOL), and some don't care to make the big scary change. The 68 year old woman knows how to bring up AOL and hit connect and it lets her look at email so she hasn't had any desire to look into it.
 
Plus some keep AOL for the email address, or so they think, even though they can keep the free AOL email account even if they drop the service. Many are under the impression that they have to have it.
 
2.1 million x $20.00 x 12 months = $504,000.000.00

So AOL is still making $504 million in revenue from folks who still have AOL? Jeebus! :eek:
 
A lot of older people i work with have AOL. If they are not using their dial up then they are using the AOL software to use the internet through a broadband connection. Just the way it is. Old habits. ;)
 
Conker said:
A lot of older people i work with have AOL. If they are not using their dial up then they are using the AOL software to use the internet through a broadband connection. Just the way it is. Old habits. ;)
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they probably also keep win xp just to run some old ass aol software :(
 
MrTroy03 said:
Not necessarily true. I live out in the country and am fortunate enough to be close enough for DSL. I pay $19.99/month for 3Mbps DSL.

Is it slow compared to fiber or 25 or 50Mbps cable? You bet your ass. But its the best option where I live. No data caps. I can actually stream Netflix 90% of the time well and way better than Dial Up and Satellite.

I would get faster if I could. I can't. I would say a 50-75% of those people literally have no other option but Dial Up (although they can go elsewhere from AOL), and some don't care to make the big scary change. The 68 year old woman knows how to bring up AOL and hit connect and it lets her look at email so she hasn't had any desire to look into it.
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Wow, you're the exception then. Every place I've lived the cheapest I've ever been able to get bottom-rung broadband has been $40.
 
There are still some backwoods areas like up in Maine, and even here in Massachusetts where dial up is pretty much their only option. Hell, some of those folks are stilll probably running Windows 95!! LOL!!:p
 
tetris42 said:
Wow, you're the exception then. Every place I've lived the cheapest I've ever been able to get bottom-rung broadband has been $40.
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Unfortunately out in the country you don't get many options and WISPs tend to be crap tier so you have to take what you can get. Keep in mind the size of the USA and just how small of an area broadband covers, when you look at the grand scheme of things there are tremendous dead spots where no other option except satellite exists in almost every state.
 
MrTroy03 said:
Plus some keep AOL for the email address, or so they think, even though they can keep the free AOL email account even if they drop the service. Many are under the impression that they have to have it.
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No it is just 2.1 million people stuck on hold waiting to cancel! :)
 
The wait for their Windows computers checking for updates must be really, really long. I mean REALLY LONG.
 
I wonder how many of these people thought they canceled years ago and don't realize they are still paying $20 a month?
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
I wonder how many of these people thought they canceled years ago and don't realize they are still paying $20 a month?
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I remember trying to cancel my AOL. It was easier to leave the mafia. AOL reps fought with you.

REP: "Why are you canceling?
ME: "I have Verizon DSL now"
REP: "That's it? But what about your AOL email? Surely you don't want ti lose that!"

I never went through anything like that. Made shooing the Moonies and Hare Krishnas at Grand Central seem easy
 
AOL? LOL!
I miss my AOL profile that I "hacked" with HTML to make it colorful.
 
Oh god..Could you imagine what their tech support clientele consists of?
 
Sounds like 2.1 millions credit cards that have yet to expire.

Anyone who is actively using this has to be on XP or pre-XP era hardware. I know there are USB modems, but come on.
 
A lot of AOL 'subscribes' don't actually use the AOL dial-up service. They simply do not understand that if they stop paying AOL, they don't lose their e-mail address. They literally think that the e-mail address only exists if you subscribe.
 
ryang said:
Sounds like 2.1 millions credit cards that have yet to expire.

Anyone who is actively using this has to be on XP or pre-XP era hardware. I know there are USB modems, but come on.
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This reminds me, this past weekend we got into spring cleaning and I was clearing out my computer graveyard and found my old 486DX-33, my 15 year old was facinated with it. lol!

No HSF on the CPU, 4 MB of RAM (I upgraded from 1 MB and it cost me $125 per 1MB stick), a Diamond Stealth graphics card, a creative CD with soundcard upgrade kit, a 56.6 baud dial up modem and ribbon cables, lots of ribbon cables. :D
 
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