Internet giant Yahoo has closed it's website portal GeoCities as of 26 October 2009, according to the company's official website.

The service, which was at its most popular in the late 1990s, was known for hosting simple websites made by those who want a free homepage or fansite.

According to a FAQ centre set up by Yahoo, GeoCities users who subscribe to the free service will no longer be able to access their webpages, files and photos after the 26 October cutoff date.

Paid subscribers, or GeoCities Plus users, can still access their websites, but will be unable to update them unless they upgrade their plans to one on Yahoo's Web Hosting service.

These members can upgrade their service to a new web hosting plan for no extra charge for five years. Yahoo Web Hosting traditionally charges much higher fees compared to the more basic GeoCities service.

Customers who have taken GeoCities email address will also not find their accounts affected, according to Yahoo.