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Why does a new SIM have entries in the FPLMN list?

FPLMN entries can appear if the SIM was powered on or tested before use.

Written by Chandika Ambawatte
Updated over 6 months ago

Environment

  • SIM type: applicable to all

  • Device: applicable to all

Question

  • Why does a newly installed SIM already have forbidden networks (FPLMN)

  • Shouldn’t the FPLMN list be empty on a new SIM?

  • Why would a newly installed SIM that has never been used previously have entries in the FPLMN list?

Answer

Even a newly-installed SIM can contain entries in the Forbidden Public Land Mobile Network (FPLMN) list if it was:

  • Powered on during manufacturing or provisioning

  • Used for testing before shipment

  • Attempted to connect to a network and was rejected; even briefly

Network rejections during these early stages can cause the device to write those networks to the FPLMN list.

Cause

FPLMN entries are created automatically by the device when a connection attempt fails. This behavior can occur outside the user’s control if the SIM was active in any pre-deployment process.

For more information on FPLMN and how to clear it, see:

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