"I think it would be a great idea to be able to log into my HughesNet account once a year or maybe once every 6 months for top tier customers and check a box that says I just bought a new device and the next 24 hours of data being transferred doesn't count against my monthly usage."
Interesting concept, but I suspect that it would probably be a nightmare to implement such a system. I personally, do any updates or downloads during the bonus period. I also try to have as few devices on my system as possible. All of this allows me to remain a 10 gig wonder
I haven't experienced it myself, but I've seen people here say that their service actually slows down right after Christmas, due to all the new devices being added.
If you haven't done so already, you might want to look at this link:
https://community.hughesnet.com/t5/Tech-Support/HughesNet-Data-Management-Tips-n-Tricks-How-To-Eliminate-Phantom/m-p/41581#M29776