AOL sees decline in subscribers

Associated Press

NEW YORK — After a relentless decadelong climb to more than 35 million global subscribers, the number of America Online users has slipped for the first time.

Tucked in among the announcements in its earnings release on Wednesday, the online division of AOL Time Warner reported the departure of 170,000 U.S. users in the fourth quarter.

"While AOL is still the No. 1 online service in terms of reach and time spent online, it is losing relevance steadily," said Dylan Brooks, an independent analyst of Internet service providers.

But analysts believe the drop in subscribers, however minuscule, could foreshadow a gloomier future for an AOL that has been unable to make the transition to high-speed broadband from its domination of the slow-speed dial-up access market.