T-Mobile Debuts Rollover Data – 10GB Free to Start

T-Mobile this morning made one of its best #Uncarrier moves yet, announcing that most T-Mobile plans will now feature roll-over data, accumulating all unused data each month in a "Data Stash" account.

This has been a feature that we have long craved, and it is awesome to at last see a major carrier embracing it.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere:

“Can you imagine your gas station siphoning unused gas from your car each month? The US wireless industry is even worse. Americans have been gamed by the carriers into buying huge data plans – all to avoid getting screwed with overage penalties. Only to find out they bought more than they need which is then confiscated by the carrier. For the consumer it’s lose, lose."

All T-Mobile Simple Choice voice lines with over 3GB/mo and all Mobile Internet hotspot or tablet plans with over 1GB/mo will automatically start accumulating data into a Data Stash account starting January 1st.

And to get everyone started, T-Mobile is giving all new and existing customers a 10GB deposit of data that does not expire until the end of 2015.

A few key details:

• You can dial up or down your monthly plan without losing your stash, as long as the new plan still qualifies. So once you have accumulated a large bucket, you can dial down to the minimum monthly plan and not lose what you have built up.
• The 10GB free starter stash is great, but you will NOT start accumulating new data in your stash until the bonus data is used up. Binge watch to burn through the 10GB so that you can start rolling over the data that you've paid for ASAP.
• T-Mobile data is per/line, not "shared data" across all the lines in an account like AT&T and Verizon. Each line gets its own data stash, and also its own 10GB bonus.
• Accumulated data expires a year after it is stashed.
• There is no limit to how much data you can have stashed.
• Stashed data CAN be used for tethering.
• A version of the data stash for prepaid customers is "coming soon".

For RV users, rollover data makes a T-Mobile $20/mo 1GB Mobile Internet plan a great backup data source to have around. You will now get a 10GB bonus to start, data that accumulates, unlimited music streaming, and free unlimited international 2G data roaming.

It is a heck of a great deal - and very customer friendly. John Legere again:

“This year on Twitter, customers asked the carriers to create a program to roll data forward more than 40,000 times. So this isn’t rocket science. It’s just that we seem to be the only company in this industry that cares enough to listen. That’s fine by me.”

Now - will AT&T or Verizon follow along? We can only hope!