MSN Dial-Up Internet Access
The MSN logo changed several times as the service evolved throughout its history (top row from left: 1995, 1996, 1998; and bottom row from left: 2000, 2009, 2014) | |
| Company type | Division of Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet |
| Founded | August 24, 1995 |
Area served | United States (MSN Dial-Up) Worldwide (MSN Premium) |
| Products | Dial-up Internet access |
| Owner | Microsoft |
| Website | membercenter.msn.com www.microsoft.com |
MSN Dial-Up Internet Access is an Internet service provider operated by Microsoft in the United States and formerly also in several other countries. Originally named The Microsoft Network, it debuted as a proprietary online service on August 24, 1995, to coincide with the release of Windows 95. In 1996 and 1997, a revised web-based version of the ISP was an early experiment at interactive multimedia content on the Internet.
Microsoft renamed the service MSN Internet Access in 1998, focusing its main "MSN" brand on its web portal of the same name, MSN.com. As of 2025, the company still provides dial-up Internet access under the name "MSN Dial-Up Internet Access" for those who cannot access high-speed broadband. For several years, MSN was the second largest dial-up ISP in the United States behind longtime leader AOL, but very few people in the U.S. still rely on dial-up.
Along with dial-up service, MSN provides its subscribers with its MSN Explorer software and an @msn.com email account to use with Outlook.com. Microsoft also still offers that software as part of a standalone subscription service for users with broadband Internet access worldwide named MSN Premium, but as of 2025, it is outdated by modern standards and no longer offers any other features exclusive to members.