boeingbus2002.....
(probably not, but just a thought) Are you using a laptop and moving around? I do (likewise AOL/dial-up) regularly gettting 48kbs at home, but anything down to 27kbs around the country on other telephone lines. Location is definitely part of the equation, but not the whole story.
However, if you are talking about a deterioration at the same point, I did have a similar problem quite a while back that was resolved (maybe coincidentally) by changing the AOL telephone access numbers.
Incidentally, the above is based predominantly on AOLv.7, although 48kbs at home was still being attained during my brief foray with v.8 a couple of weeks ago, before rapidly reverting, due.....
(side issue)N.B.: .....(is it me!) the horrendous new colours and graphics. I've got absolutely no complaints about AOL as an ISP, but I do wish we could have an optional interface for 'grown-ups'.