R
Rich Edmonds
T-Mobile has today announced Un-carrier 8.0, introducing its new personal Data Stash feature for subscribers. This new Data Stash will enable anyone who doesn't use up their data allowance for that month to store this remaining balance on their T-Mobile account for use another time. Put simply, you'll be able to automatically save the remaining data allowance each month for free, and then use this hidden stash whenever you run over the limit.
As touched on above, Data Stash will be available to everyone – both existing and new T-Mobile customers and individual, family or business accounts – at no extra charge. The only requirement is that customers are subscribed to an eligible postpaid Simple Choice plan — 3GB per month for phones, or 1GB for tablets. If that wasn't enough already, T-Mobile also announced it will provide 10GB of 4G LTE data for free to get everyone started with Data Stash.
The only downside is each MB of saved data is only available for a year before expiring, so you can't horde data for too long. T-Mobile US CEO John Legere commented on today's announcement:
"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. That data is rightfully yours. And, we're putting an end to this appalling industry practice today. With Data Stash, when you buy additional high-speed data, there's no need to lose what you don't use."
As an added bonus, there's no limit to how much data can be saved each month and stored in Data Stash. The new feature will roll out across eligible T-Mobile plans starting in January 2015. Aside from the Data Stash announcement, T-Mobile also revealed the company now reaches 260 million Americans coast to coast with its LTE network, expanding to reach an additional 10 million people in just the last 60 days. Plans are in place for 2015 to reach 300 million people through further rapid network expansion, including the complete shutdown of its 2G network.
See the press release below for more details.
Bellevue, Washington − December 16, 2014 − T-Mobile (NYSE: TMUS) today announced its next industry-rocking Un-carrier™ move − eliminating the infuriating wireless industry practice of confiscating unused data you've already paid for. With Un-carrier 8.0, high-speed data you don't use each month automatically rolls into a personal Data Stash™ so you can use it when you need it for up to a year. And, the best part is that Data Stash is included at no extra charge for every single new and existing T-Mobile customer – individual, family or business – on an eligible postpaid Simple Choice plan who buys extra high-speed data for their smartphone or tablet.
In addition, T-Mobile announced they will start every Data Stash with a whopping 10 GB of 4G LTE data – for free. That's 10 GB of free data for every line in the family on a qualifying plan. And on top of that, the Un-carrier announced several major new milestones in the build-out of its Data Strong™ network.
"Can you imagine your gas station siphoning unused gas from your car each month? The US wireless industry is even worse," said John Legere, president and CEO for T-Mobile. "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.
"That data is rightfully yours," added Legere. "And, we're putting an end to this appalling industry practice today. With Data Stash, when you buy additional high-speed data, there's no need to lose what you don't use."
With T-Mobile's Data Stash − the first such program from a national wireless provider − you don't have to worry about buying extra high-speed data you'll never use − or not having that data when you need it most. You've paid for it. Now you can use it when you need it for up to a full year.
Starting in January 2015, Data Stash will be automatically available at no extra charge to every T-Mobile customer – every individual, family and business – with a postpaid Simple Choice plan who has purchased additional 4G LTE data, 3GB or more for smartphones and 1 GB or more for tablets. And, you'll start out with a Free Data Stash with up to 10 GB of 4G LTE data.
Once you've used up that Free Data Stash, any unused high speed data − rounded up to the nearest megabyte – will start to roll into your Data Stash automatically every month. And there's no limit to how much data you can collect in your Data Stash. When you need extra high-speed data, you'll automatically start tapping into your data deposits. Now, when you pay extra for 4G LTE data, you won't lose data you don't use.
Businesses face the same challenges when it comes to the data guessing game – just multiplied by the number of employees they have. Think it's hard choosing how much data to buy for you and your family? Try figuring out how much to buy for you and your 50 employees. More than a third of U.S. businesses on shared data plans have been hit by punitive overage penalties, and others resort to buying more data than they need – all just to avoid budget-busting overage penalties at the end of the month.
"Like every Un-carrier move we make, Data Stash also came from listening to customers," added Legere. "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."
T-Mobile's Data Strong Network Expansion
Data Stash is made possible by T-Mobile's unique Data Strong network design which was purpose built for the data-intensive way people use smartphones and tablets today. Today, after an epic year of network firsts and massive advancements, the Un-carrier announced several major new milestones as it continues to expand and enhance its network at an unprecedented pace:
First, T-Mobile continues to grow its LTE footprint and now reaches more people than ever before − 260 million Americans coast to coast, expanding to reach an additional 10 million people in just the last 60 days. Second, on the heels of upgrading T-Mobile's network to its ultra-fast Wideband LTE in New York, the Un-carrier now reaches 121 metropolitan areas across the country with Wideband LTE, giving customers more capacity and up to a 50 percent boost in speeds. Already, T-Mobile customers in the NYC metro area have reported download speeds in excess of an unprecedented 100 Mbps.
Finally, T-Mobile announced that it has deployed its newly acquired 700Mhz spectrum in Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. boosting network reach, improving in-building coverage and extending coverage well beyond major population centers.
The Un-carrier expects to continue its rapid fire network improvements in 2015 and has already set a few resolutions for the New Year − like reaching 300 million people with T-Mobile's blazing-fast LTE network.
For more information on T-Mobile's network advancements this year, please read this blog by T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray. For more information on T-Mobile's Data Strong network, please visit www.t-mobile.com/DataStrong. For more information about T-Mobile's Data Stash and other ground-breaking Un-carrier benefits, please visit www.t-mobile.com/DataStash.
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