Can a SIM card just die?

Soldato
Joined
3 Dec 2012
Posts
2,703
Location
Northern Ireland
My Sky Mobile SIM just stopped working today pretty much out of the blue.
Full disclosure I did pop it out of my phone into my 4g router as my regular 3 signal was misbehaving and generally being quite slow.

When I put the SIM into the router it just did nothing which seemed odd.
I then put it back into my phone which now doesn’t recognise a SIM even being inserted - it’s like it’s not even there.

I have a replacement winging its way from Sky although of course with it being the weekend I’ll likely not get it until Monday or Tuesday.

I have tried the card in a different phone and my iPad - all with the same issue. When I put a different SIM into my phone it works fine.

Just seems very odd but I can only assume somewhere between removing it from the phone and inserting it into the router I’ve damaged it somehow - although physically it looks fine.

Oh and there’s no issue with Sky Mobile, account is in good standing etc etc.
 
Soldato
Joined
4 Mar 2003
Posts
12,450
Location
Chatteris
In my experience yes - but possible I'm not seeing the whole picture.....
We look after a number of company mobiles in IT and every so often we'll get a ticket - cannot access data from phone etc.
We'll check the number, cap not met. Speak to the telco, not blocked, nothing changed. Remove & reinsert SIM. Wipe & reinstall phone.....still no data.
Transfer number to new SIM, pop it in and off we go - data all working once more.

I say I'm not seeing the whole picture as there is no telling if the telco is fixing an issue and not telling me. In many cases these are remote users and I take their work it isn't working. Could be a local mast issue not on the main telco website....
But I definitely see situations where a SIM appears to "just die" and need replacing.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
3 Dec 2012
Posts
2,703
Location
Northern Ireland
Never mind - my replacement SIM arrived this morning and all is working. So it does indeed seem the previous SIM just kicked the bucket.
Not sure if serious.... Anything can die
Well it was because A) It's never happened to me before and B) The SIM wasn't even a year old but hey, at least I know now.
 
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