Introduction to AOL Broadband

AOL Broadband is one of the very first ISPs (internet service providers) and has over 12 years of experience of providing broadband access in the UK. It has moved from being one of the largest and best known internet providers, to a larger niche broadband player. It's now part of the TalkTalk Group and managed alongside TalkTalk home phone and broadband. Despite the changes and shifts, it still has over 1m broadband and home phone customers.

AOL history

The origins of can be traced back to the short-lived Control Video Corporation, founded by Bill von Meister. In 1983, von Meister hired Steve Case and Jim Kimsey to work as consultants. When the company went bankrupt in 1985, Case and Kimsey started a new company, Quantum Computer Services, now known as AOL.

For years, AOL dominated the home internet market in America and in other countries. At one point, AOL had over 30m members worldwide. Subscribers loved AOL's 'walled garden' model, which made browsing the web simpler and safer. Users could navigate within a private online community or go out into the World Wide Web. AOL's software let customers filter out inappropriate sites, making the web more family-friendly.

In 1996, AOL UK was launched, providing reliable internet to British customers.

In May 1997, AOL introduced its hugely popular Instant Messenger service, allowing users to chat online in real time. This made AOL a favourite among younger users.

In October 2006, Carphone Warehouse purchased AOL UK for £370m. This made Carphone Warehouse the third largest broadband provider in the UK and AOL UK the fourth most popular ISP.

Each AOL broadband plan comes with a free wireless router, wireless security and parental controls as standard. To get AOL, you will need to have a BT landline.

The AOL broadband service

AOL Broadband offers three basic packages.  A broadband, calls and line rental option, a broadband and calls option, and a broadband only package. AOL Broadband offers broadband speeds of up to 24Mbps, but you would be extremely unlikely to receive even close to that speed, unless you live very close (less than 0.5 km) from your local telephone exchange (which you can check using our postcode checker).

AOL Broadband pricing is at the cheaper end of the market, but there is fierce competition coming from providers such as Plusnet, Primus and TalkTalk.

AOL Broadband used to be well known for its value and benefits. And indeed, all the AOL packages come with a free wireless router so you can go online in any room in your house, or your garden. AOL also includes parental controls as standard. You can use the software to set a different level of security for each member of your family.

It's great if you have children using your PC.  However, these benefits are offered by most other broadband providers.
AOL has a loyal customer base, but with broadband and home phone suppliers such as TalkTalk and Plusnet offering just as capable and cheaper alternatives, AOL is facing a harsh and competitive market. Some started rumours of very expensive legacy deals, with long term AOL Broadband customers paying way over the odds for their broadband.

If you don't want to commit to an ISP, AOL has a package for you. With Wireless Flexi, you can cancel at any time without incurring a penalty. This package is the same as the standard wireless package in every respect, except there is a one-off set-up fee. This may be a good option if you're planning to move house within the next year.

AOL's calling plans

In addition to its broadband service, AOL offers five AOL Talk packages. Talk Unlimited and Talk Evening and Weekend packages are great for people who mostly make local calls. Both are currently free for broadband customers.

AOL also has international call packages which are designed for people who make a lot of overseas calls. By opting for an international call package customers will get access to free calls to 36 popular international destinations.

Online security and parental controls

All of the providers' broadband packages come with parental controls as standard. Meanwhile AOL's Security Suite, powered by McAfee, is great for protecting your PC from viruses, spam and hackers. However, it's not included in the broadband packages. If you want this useful feature, you will have to pay a monthly subscription fee. Other providers offer this for free.