BARTLETT, Tenn., July 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SurgePays, Inc. (OTCQB: SURG) (“SurgePays” or the “Company”), a blockchain fintech company building a next generation supply chain network that offers wholesale goods and financial services for the underbanked more cost efficiently than traditional distribution models, today announces the approval from the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB Program) to be a provider of discounted broadband services through the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, SurgePhone, to qualified users based on income. These services can be acquired through the SurgePays Retail Centers installed within the Company’s network of local retailers. SurgePhone is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and operates both the SurgePhone wireless and Loco Rabbit wireless brands.
Eligible new and existing SurgePhone customers can now receive home internet or wireless service for little or even no cost if they take advantage of the EBB, which is administered by the Federal Communications Commission. The EBB Program is a temporary program established by Congress to help those economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and applies to either home broadband or broadband delivered by wireless. The EBB Program provides up to a $50/month discount on broadband service and associated equipment rentals and up to $75/month for those qualifying on Tribal land. The program also offers a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50.
The EBB Program offering will be incorporated into the SurgePays Prepaid Center within SurgePays’ retail network. SurgePhone fully supports the EBB Program, helping to provide essential broadband wireless services to a population with significant need for these services that might not seek them out in venues outside of their local convenience store. This new product offering will also be included in the SurgePays national “Blitz” program and there is an anticipation of high demand and acceptance expanding the SurgePays network. Local retailers will see the added value of providing their customers with these services, which, in turn, will create additional opportunities both for those stores and for SurgePays to provide additional products and services through the SurgePays marketplace.
Tony Evers, CFO of SurgePays, commented, “SurgePays consistently seeks to provide new and innovative products and services to the underbanked through its network of independent retailers and convenience stores. The EBB Program will provide tremendous benefits to a large consumer base in dire need of broadband wireless for their jobs, family, education and improved quality of life. We are currently modeling a program adding 5,000 new customers a month through this new product offering and will look to ramp these goals as the SurgePays network increases.”
One monthly service discount plan and one device discount is allowed per household and eligible consumers need to enroll in the EBB Program through their participating retailer offering the connected devices. SurgePhone has received approval to offer customers these discounted services in California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas.
About SurgePays, Inc.
SurgePays, Inc. utilizes its blockchain software platform to offer a comprehensive suite of prepaid, financial services for the underbanked, and top selling wholesale products to independently owned convenience stores, mini-marts, tiendas, and bodegas more cost efficiently than existing wholesale distribution models. Please visit www.SurgePays.com for more information.
SurgePays, Inc.
Company Contact:
Tony Evers CPA, CIA
Chief Financial Officer
847-648-7541
tevers@surgeholdings.com
Investor Relations Contact:
CORE IR
516-222-2560
invest@surgeholdings.com
Media Relations:
Jules Abraham
CORE IR
917-885-7378
julesa@coreir.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.
This press release includes express or implied statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or our future financial or operating performance and may contain projections of our future results of operations or of our financial information or state other forward-looking information. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements relate to future events or our future operational or financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control, including, without limitation, statements about our future financial performance, including our revenue, cash flows, costs of revenue and operating expenses; our anticipated growth; our predictions about our industry; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and our ability to attract, retain and cross-sell to clients. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update, and expressly disclaim the obligation to update, any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.