Quote from 1&1 Support pages; (for information only, I'm not interested in arguing for or against any particular web host
)
"The paid PHP Extended Support is provided instead of a hard version shutdown you are unaware of or are not yet fully prepared. Your PHP projects and scripts will continue to be protected from attackers until you decide to switch to a recent version of PHP."
"Why is PHP Extended Support needed?
Since the PHP community discontinues the support of outdated PHP versions on a specific date, 1&1 IONOS actively takes over the role of providing support and eliminating any security vulnerabilities that may affect our customers. We want to provide you with an uninterrupted service for your websites, as well as preventing them from becoming vulnerable to hackers. Maintaining the old PHP versions requires increasing our administration efforts. We only charge you for this additional service with a small monthly fee."
"You still have older PHP 4.0, PHP 5.2, PHP 5.4, PHP 5.5 or PHP 7.0 scripts that you've always wanted to 1&1 IONOSuse on your site? If you would like to add PHP Extended Support as an additional option for current contracts, please contact our Customer Service."