Registration and Initial Status
When you purchase a Soracom IoT SIM, it must be registered to your Soracom account before use. This process is similar to activating a SIM card with a traditional mobile network operator. Registration confirms your receipt of the SIMs and associates them with your account.
When you register an IoT SIM to your account, its default Subscriber Status is set to Ready. This status indicates that the registration process was completed successfully and that the SIM is now ready for use.
For detailed instructions, refer to the Registering Soracom IoT SIMs documentation.
Automatic Activation
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.
When your device attempts to connect, Soracom checks the SIM's status. To connect, your SIM must be in one of the following statuses:
- Ready
- Active
- Standby
If the SIM is in Ready or Standby status, Soracom automatically changes the status to Active upon the first connection request. You can verify this change in the User Console.
Note: Once a SIM changes from Ready to another status, it cannot be changed back to Ready.
Preventing Communication and Fees
To prevent data usage, you can change the status to Inactive:
- From the User Console, select the checkbox next to the IoT SIM.
- Click the Actions menu and select Deactivate.
Alternatively, you can use the deactivateSim API.
When an IoT SIM is Inactive, new session requests are rejected, so no data usage fees are incurred. However, the basic daily fee still applies.
Long-Term Storage
If you do not intend to use the SIM for a long period, you can change the status to Suspended. A reactivation fee will be charged when moving a SIM from Suspended status to Active or Inactive status. For more information, see Soracom's Pricing and Fee Schedule.