Reactivating Services (SIM Card)

All Iridium and Inmarsat services are provided using SIM cards. New Postpaid (monthly plan) SIM cards are sent out to our customers activated. Prepaid SIM cards are activated by the customer (as their allotted airtime expiry beings on the activation date).

It is important to understand the difference between New, Activated, and Deactivated SIM cards. 

Only previously activated and then deactivated SIM cards can be re-activated. Please read through the below to learn if it's possible to re-activate your SIM card.

New Prepaid SIM: If you have a new prepaid SIM card that has never been activated, and needs to be activated, please see this article instead: How do I activate my SIM card?

Active-Expired Prepaid SIM: If you have a previously activated prepaid SIM that has run out of airtime or if the minutes have expired, you can refill it as long as the prepaid SIM appears listed in your 'My Account' section under 'Manage Prepaid Refills'. Please see: How do I refill a prepaid SIM card?

Deactivated-Expired Prepaid SIM: If you have an old prepaid SIM that was previously activated and is now 270 days past the minutes expiry date, it will be fully Deactivated status and no longer appear in your 'Manage Prepaid Refills' section of 'My Account'.  You will need to purchase a new prepaid SIM card.**

Deactivated Postpaid (Monthly Plan) SIM: If you have an old postpaid SIM card that was previously Deactivated (disconnected), you can re-activate the card from your Manage Airtime Plans section of your Account.** Please see: How to Reactivate Postpaid (Monthly) Services 

**REACTIVATING A DEACTIVATED IRIDIUM SIM CARD: 

For Iridium Deactivated-Expired Prepaid SIM cards, and Iridium Postpaid SIM cards that have already been re-activated once prior (not listed in the Historical Services tab of Manage Airtime Plans):

In rare cases it's possible for our Customer Care Agents to re-activate the SIM cards listed above.

However we highly recommending only requesting this if it's impossible to ship a new SIM card to the device it will be used in. IE: the deactivated SIM is out at sea and requires immediate service.

Reactivations in these cases are a manual process with high fees charged by the Iridium network provider which we must pass on to customers. You will be charged the reactivation fee PLUS the new plan/refill charges. The satellite service phone number associated to the SIM will in most cases be different upon reactivation.

To request a reactivation of an old deactivated SIM card listed above, please contact customer care.