Old sim card?

[semco]

I had a old public mobile phone which is not in service. Can I use this SIM card for a new number I want to activate and if such, how I can activate that old SIM card again?

[Spudster]

@semco 

There's no reason any carrier wouldn't be able to reuse a SIM.  Many are considered "burned" once activated to a particular carrier.

It's really just a small chunk of memory with a hard coded serial number. The policies of the carrier decide whether they're willing to enable them to be reused or not.

In the case of Public Mobile (and virtually every other Canadian wireless service provider), one cannot reuse an old SIM card which has since been deactivated.

[WoozyPolarBear]

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@BlueB wrote:

I have always found this to be rather strange, about how old/deactivated SIM cards can't be reused.  Especially with trying to be more environmentally friendly, I would have hoped that the industry would have moved towards reusing them, but alas, it is what it is.

Less so these days, bus collecting SIM cards from different providers from different parts of the world used to be a thing!  🙂

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I agree with you about these SIM cards being wasted...but I wish the industry would once and for all get behind the eSIM technology. I have no idea why, but it seems like mobile providers are trying to make this technology gain as little traction as possible, and make it ridiculously difficult to obtain, and they barely support it right now. eSIM's should also be transferable between devices...it's a QR code for goodness sake. The industry needs to get their heads shaken quite a bit.

[computergeek541]

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@BlueB wrote:

Anyways, to bring this back on-topic, the only remaining thought I have is that we never established if the "old" Public Mobile account/SIM was actually expired and dead. 

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I don't agree with this part. The OP said that the SIM card is not in service. That means to me that there is no active service on the account attached to that SIM card. An suspended account would still pick up a signal and the only indications that the the services are suspended would be error messages about there being no internet connection. However, the phone would still connect to the network.  I read that no active service part to mean that there's a unregistered SIM card message or an "x" over the signal meter.

[computergeek541]

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@Anonymous wrote:

 @BlueB : There's no technical reason why any provider can't re-use a SIM from a dead account. But corporations do like as many revenue streams as they can get.

I think eSIM's should be far more widespread and re-usable.

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You and both know that the carriers can do it, but they won't. There are some rare situations that carriers do reactivate old SIM cards, such as the case of a fraudulent SIM card swap. Some carriers also will reactivate a customer's SIM card if a customers decides to come back (even after cancelling).  

[Anonymous]

 @BlueB : Yup. Happens all too often. Questions don't get answered, a bunch of speculation ensues and the customer disappears leaving things unfinished. What can you do. 🙂

[BlueB]

I agree @Anonymous, although I love my physical SIM card because I swap my SIM into different devices.  A lot of things we see are based on how things have always been, an in some ways, isn't a bad thing too.  If companies are giving away discounted/free SIM cards, then really it becomes more of an expense.

Anyways, to bring this back on-topic, the only remaining thought I have is that we never established if the "old" Public Mobile account/SIM was actually expired and dead.  If it was within the past 59 days, for example, the account could have been active and it could technically be revived.  I realize this is unlikely the case here, but was something we never clarified. 🙂

[Anonymous]

 @BlueB : There's no technical reason why any provider can't re-use a SIM from a dead account. But corporations do like as many revenue streams as they can get.

I think eSIM's should be far more widespread and re-usable.

[BlueB]

I have always found this to be rather strange, about how old/deactivated SIM cards can't be reused.  Especially with trying to be more environmentally friendly, I would have hoped that the industry would have moved towards reusing them, but alas, it is what it is.

Less so these days, bus collecting SIM cards from different providers from different parts of the world used to be a thing!  🙂

[HALIMACS]

@semco 

If the account has been inactive for greater than 90 days, it is permanently deactivated.

You can get a new Public Mobile SIM card at Walmart, London Drugs, at canadiancellsupplies.com, or through Public Mobile using the Shop tab on the top of this page.

[popping]

A SIM card can be activated one time only and cannot be activated again.

This rule applies to all mobile providers.

[BKNS27]

@semco 

Unfortunately you can’t reactivated the old PM SIM once it is inactive.

As @darlicious noted, you can get a free PM SIM card if you get Canadian Cell Supplies https://canadiancellsupplies.com/ to activate the SIM for you along with special price PM plans.

[darlicious]

@semco 

Register a new email ( not your former pm account email)for the free month promo. Then consider activating with CCS to stack promos and recieve a free sim card. The CCS promo has been extended until 3pm et on April 26th. You will then recieve your activated sim card within 5 business days via Canada Post.

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Announcements/FLASH-SALE-Get-one-month-of-service-for...

[computergeek541]

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@semco wrote:

How to activate the old SIM card and get new number etc...without buying the new sim card again?

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Sorry, but you can't. You need to buy a new SIM card if that SIM was attached to an account that was closed.

[semco]

ok thanks I got you.

[semco]

How to activate the old SIM card and get new number etc...without buying the new sim card again?

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@semco- Unfortunately, SIM cards cannot be reused.  You would need a new one.