This gets brought up a lot but no one ever addresses the fact that most new players won't want to come join a server and be so far behind. I know I wouldn't. Starting off on a new server, while unfortunate, is currently the best way for them to be relevant on a server. That's the issue with suggestions like this, it's great for people who are already playing, it's not great for people who are just starting.
Find a way around that and you might actually have something.