Dial-up internet access is a form of connectivity that uses standard telephone lines. The user's computer uses an attached modem connected to a telephone line to dial into an internet service provider's (ISP) node to establish a modem-to-modem link, which is then used to transfer data between the two sets of equipment. Each dial-up account will come with 3 e-mail accounts.

Dial-up connections require no infrastructure other than the telecommunications network. As telephone access is widely available, many travellers still make use of such services. This is often also the only choice available to people in rural or remote areas due to the lack of broadband infrastructure. It may also be an alternative to users on limited budgets and with very little internet requirements.

A connection is established through the user's computer making a telephone call to the service provider, with the telecommunications provider (Telkom) charging for the connection at standard call rates over-and-above the monthly line rental. The ISP will charge the user a fixed monthly fee for access, regardless of the amount of internet usage. No telephone calls can be made on the line while the connection is active - the line will be engaged.

Modern dial-up modems have a theoretical transfer speed of 56 kilobits per second (56 kbits/s), although factors such as phone line noise and the quality of the modem play a large part in determining connection speeds. Some connections may be as low as 20 kbits/s in extremely "noisy" environments such as hotel rooms, where the phone line is shared with many extensions.