Surfers who are unable to access an ADSL broadband connection will be thrown a lifeline in the form of a new router from Orange.

The broadband provider's Flybox device uses an integrated SIM card to enable users to link to a broadband connection through a Wi-Fi connection within 3km of the exchange.

Flybox offers users broadband speeds of up to 1Mbps as well as a voice line and is due for release next year, Pocket-lint.co.uk reports.

The launch of the new router comes as Orange recently stepped up its targeting of the wireless broadband market in the shape of a deal with The Cloud.

The agreement will allow Orange's wireless broadband customers to access the internet via an extra 7,500 hotspots that are operated by The Cloud.

Orange's most recent figures showed it has 1,142,000 subscribers for its broadband service, making it the fifth-largest in the UK.