AOL hits 10 million

America Online Inc. has hit the 10 million user mark, the company said Monday.

The Dulles, Va., company's worldwide subscriber list reached the eight-digit mark by adding 3 million new members in North America, Europe and Japan during the last 12 months.

During peak hours, more than half a million people are logged onto the network, the company said in its statement.

By comparison, The Microsoft Network has about 2.3 million subscribers, according to company data released in May.

AOL's growth had been a source of problems for users earlier this year, when subscribers swamped phone lines and many were unable to log on. But AOL said it has added 25,000 modems since then, and is in the process of completing a third data center to increase network capacity.

"We've reached 10 million members, and we're gearing up to support millions more," CEO Steve Case said in a release.

AOL reached the 10 million mark earlier than it expected. It had thought it would happen six weeks from now, near year-end.

AOL's stock was up $3.50 to $76.81 in morning trading.