Broadband Internet Service Reigns, But Dial-Up Is Slow To Surrender; Core User Group Holding Out; Analysts struggle to predict when dial-up online service will disappear altogether.(INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY)

Byline: PETE BARLAS

Dial-up is dying, but no one's sure when to expect the funeral.

As high-speed Internet services get cheaper, the number of Internet users who surf the Web using basic dial-up access is shrinking. But even as the dial-up market erodes, there is a core group of users who may never want to give up the slower service.

That's why it's unlikely dial-up services will disappear altogether -- at least anytime soon.

"The writing is on the wall as far as dial-up is concerned, but you also get the feeling that there are always going to be services available," said Marc Ryan, an analyst at Nielsen/NetRatings, which tracks Internet use.

In August, there were 54.3 million consumers using dial-up services, which are delivered through regular phone lines. That's a drop of 10% from the 60.6 million dial-up users a year ago, according to Nielsen/NetRatings.

Meanwhile, broadband Internet services, which are several times faster than dial-up, are spreading quickly. Forty-two percent of U.S. residents now have broadband, up 16% from January, Nielsen/NetRatings says.