@stuart wrote:
I then took the sim from an other phone and put it in my phone and it worked. Put the bad sim in the other phone and it didn't work. I went back and forth several times and it was clear that my sim was bad. I got a new sim, changed the code in my account and everything is working perfectly.
I have not heard of sims failing, but mine did. It was not misused and had been running for months without any issues. Moderators can see my accounts amd ime numbers confirming the situation. Is there a warranty on the sim card?
Good job on the troubleshooting and fault isolation! As someone who works with SIM cards on a daily basis, I'd say they are indeed fairly robust and generally not prone to failure. But, like all electronics, there is the chance for random failure.
In our phones, we all use consumer grade SIM cards, and by contrast, the major SIM card manufacturers (e.g. Gemalto or Giesecke & Devrient, one of which is most likely the manufacturer of PM's SIMs) also produce "ruggedized" or industrial grade SIM cards. The ruggedized SIMs are generally used for M2M applications such as automotive telematics, and are made to withstand temperature and humidity extremes, vibration, etc., and last over 10 years. (And don't bother trying to get a "ruggedized" PM SIM -- I doubt they exist; TELUS does offer "ruggedized" SIMs for M2M applications as part of their enterprise offering.)
I'm not suggesting you're subjecting your SIM card to any of these conditions! All I'm saying is that since consumer SIM cards are not designed for these, and only rated for mean 5-10 years lifespan, it means the manufacturers intend for consumer-grade SIMs to be "consumable" items. Since 5-10 years is the mean, you could have received one in the lower percentile where premature failure occurred.
I actually keep some spare PM SIM cards handy just in case one of mine gives out, so that there's no wait in the event I need one. Also handy to have in case I want to convert a friend or family member to being a PM customer, of course. 😉
