America Online has temporarily dropped prices for its dial-up Internet service in an effort to stem the tide of customers switching to alternative services.

The Time Warner company has cut the price of its unlimited dial-up service to $19.95 a month from $23.90 for new U.S. subscribers who sign up within the next few weeks. AOL is similarly lowering the price of its 10-hours-a-month dial-up service to $9.95 a month from $14.95 for a limited time.

The special offer, which also includes 50 free days of service to new subscribers to the $19.95 plan, is aimed at broadband subscribers who want dial-up when they're away from home, an AOL representative said. The company has no plans for a permanent price change, the representative added.