A Soracom IoT SIM transitions from Ready or Standby to Active when the device registers to a cellular network or initiates a connection request.
For comprehensive details on status definitions and network behavior, please refer to the Subscriber Status and Basic Connectivity documentation.
How to Activate a SIM
Before a SIM can be used, it must be registered to your Soracom account. The SIM registration process confirms your receipt of the SIM and associates basic fees and data usage fees to your account.
Once registered, the SIM's initial status is set to Ready. There is no need to manually change the status to Active. Soracom will automatically activate the SIM and change its status to Active as soon as a device using the SIM connects to a cellular network.
Similarly, if a SIM is in Standby status, Soracom will automatically reactivate the SIM and change its status to Active as soon as the device attempts to communicate.
Why an Active SIM Might Appear "Offline"
If your SIM's subscriber status was Ready or Standby, Soracom automatically changes the status to Active as soon as your modem registers to a network. While you will see the subscriber status change to Active in the User Console, the data connection status may still appear as Offline.
This occurs because establishing a data connection requires an additional step: the modem must send a request to the local network operator to create a data session using the configured APN settings. Typically, this occurs automatically. However, if data roaming is disabled on some devices, the device will actively prevent the modem from sending this request, leaving the SIM Active but Offline.
Test Mode and Activation
If Test Mode has been enabled for your SIM, its status will automatically change from Ready to Testing (instead of Active) upon its first cellular connection request.
If your device is unable to connect to a network, do not manually change its SIM status to Active. Once a SIM's status has been changed to Active, it cannot be returned to Testing or Ready.
When Manual Reactivation is Required
While Ready and Standby SIMs activate automatically upon network interaction, a SIM in the Suspended status cannot maintain an active data or SMS session. If a SIM status has been changed to Inactive, Suspended, or Terminated, Soracom will reject network connections from the device.
According to the Diagnostics documentation, a Suspended SIM cannot connect until the subscription is manually reactivated to permit network connections.
Important Considerations
- Hardware Interaction: Simply inserting the IoT SIM into a device (modem) will not automatically change its status. The transition only occurs once the modem actively interacts with the cellular network.
- Delaying Billing: If you wish to keep the SIM in the Ready or Standby status (for example, to delay the start of billing), ensure that your modem is configured to prevent automatic network registration or data connection attempts.
- Usage Fees: As soon as your SIM card connects to a network for the first time and becomes Active, data usage fees will apply. No (re)activation fee is incurred for this first transition out of Ready.
- SIM Transfers: Once a SIM changes from Ready to another status, it cannot be changed back to Ready. If you are planning to transfer a Ready status SIM, you must ensure that the SIM will not be used to connect to a network prior to completing the transfer.