Definition of the word dial up

The term "dial up" refers to the process of manually connecting a computer or other device to the internet through a modem and a telephone line. The word "dial" in this context refers to the action of rotating a dial on the telephone keypad in order to manually dial a specific telephone number. In the early days of internet access, before broadband services became widely available, dial up was the primary method of connecting to the internet through a modem. This process was slow and unreliable, with connection speeds typically ranging from 28.8 to 56 kilobits per second (kbps). Today, dial up is mostly a nostalgic relic of the past, as high-speed broadband connections through cable, fiber optic, and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technologies have become the norm.