Dial-up internet access was expected to be dead by now, but the struggling global economy has led to some going back to the archaic technology.
"Dial-up is declining overall, but that doesn't mean it's not still a viable business," EarthLink senior vice president of product management recently said to reporters. "There's still a big market out there and during these tough times, even customers who have bundles including broadband may be looking at their bill and thinking, 'Do I really need all this?'"
To prove its efforts in this market, EarthLink has its "Connect for Less" deal that offers dial-up Internet access for just $7.95 per month, or 25 cents per day.
Let's get something clear: 56 percent of EarthLink's revenue is generated from its broadband business, but still has almost twice as many dial-up users.
Virtually all dial-up Internet services offer connections for less than $10 per month, while most broadband connections in the United States cost more than $34.50 per month, according to analysts. A NetZero subscriber would save around $300 per year if they switched from broadband to dial-up.
Americans who look to the Internet just to check e-mail and browse the Internet are still able to do so, though watching content on YouTube, Hulu and other sites -- along with downloading content or playing video games online -- is difficult.
Analysts are curious to see if consumers are more willing to switch to dial-up to save money, or if the need for speed is just too much for them.
Despite some users switching, it seems dial-up will eventually die off within the decade, as broadband prices drop even further.
