Many modern-day people who have observed the development and rise of the Internet consider dial-up Internet a relic of a bygone age. However, it may surprise you to learn that companies such as AOL are still alive and providing Internet for rural areas. There are several significant factors that have allowed dial-up Internet to flourish in rural America.

First, much of rural America lacks the infrastructure to support broadband access. Though the government has acknowledged the rural broadband issue and is taking measures to improve rural regions’ infrastructure, progress has been slow. For many people, it is easier to rely on old tricks such as using their phone lines for Internet access. Furthermore, some mainstream Internet service providers choose not to do business in rural areas because to them, it is not worth their investment. Since rural America has fewer people per square mile, there are fewer chances to make money, making business a riskier endeavor.

While many rural residents still use dial-up, there are also other types of rural Internet service providers that provide faster and better service. Satellite Internet service providers such as Starlink provide high-speed Internet access nearly anywhere in the world. Furthermore, mobile Internet providers such as UbiFi reach rural areas with unlimited 4G rural Internet access. While satellite Internet is a high-performance solution, you may want to consider a mobile provider like UbiFi instead if you want high-latency Internet or Internet with no data caps. Unlike satellite Internet, UbiFi does not charge overage fees for using data, so keep that in mind if you wish to leave dial-up behind and switch to a more advanced Internet provider for a more civilized age.