Method for deactivating and possibly reactivating SIM cards

A method of deactivating i) a SIM card (i) and ii) a subscription of the SIM card using an on-demand-activation application (2 , comprising of steps of:

• using a computer (3) and an associated on-demand- activation (ODA) database (4), deactivating the subscription of the SIM card and the SIM card (i) by;
• i) connecting the SIM card to the on-demand-activation (ODA) database (4);
• ii) transferring an instruction to deactivate the SIM card and to cancel the subscription of the SIM card to the on-demand-activation application (2);
• iii) transferring information in a memory of the SIM card, including card definition files comprising the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the SIM card, to the on-demand-activation application (2);
• iv) arranging the on-demand-activation application (2) to be connected to the network, the network including a Home Location Register/Authentication Center (HLR/AUC);
• v) with the on-demand-activation application, retrieving the subscription information from the Home Location Register/Authentication Center;
• vi) with the on-demand-activation application, replacing the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the SIM card with a temporary International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI-T);
• vii) with the on-demand-activation application, a) storing said temporary International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI-T) in the memory of the SIM card, and b) storing said temporary International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI-T) in said on-demand-activation database (4);
• and viii) with the on-demand-activation application, transferring to the network, including the Home Location Register/Authentication Center (HLR/AUC) (5), an instruction to cancel the subscription of the SIM card in the network including in Home Location Register/Authentication Center (HLR/AUC);
• wherein the method provides that the SIM card (i) is reactivated using i) the retrieved subscription information and the temporary International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI- T) stored in the on-demand-activation database (4), together with ii) the temporary International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI- T) stored on the SIM card.