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Photo: 123rf The Commerce Commission has given telecommunications companies 12 months to come up with standardised coverage maps for all providers so customers can compare the signal reach each one is offering. It also wants universal definitions of coverage quality, like excellent, good and non-existent, as well as hang up clauses; so if consumers find their calling experience in real world is not what is promised they cancel their contract at no charge. Judy, who lives on a farm near Lake Waikaremoana in the Wairoa District, told Checkpoint she only had about 30 percent phone coverage. "It's a health and safety issue. We've got employees and contractors on the farm on a regular basis," she said. She had supplied her employees with locator beacons, which were only suitable for emergency...

A man uses a smartphone to take a photo of a beach. Photo: 123RF Youth travel businesses are hopeful to recover some of their losses this summer after one of their worst winters ever. One hostel industry advocate said occupancy levels collapsed across the motu in May and it has been a hard slog since then. But operators said green shoots were appearing for the summer ahead. Intrepid Travel New Zealand general manager Eve Lawrence said it was a cracker start to the year and then it went downhill. "Winter has been exceptionally soft. It's been probably the worst winter we've had on record for the last decade to be honest. The snow just hasn't arrived and the customers just haven't been booking for the winter so it's had quite a downturn this year," she said. Summer was looking quite str...

Photo: RNZ / Kate Green The owner of Pandoro Wellington has announced its closure after nearly three decades in business. A note in the store window from director Tony Beazley said it had just become too tough to keep its three bakeries open. "The economic downturn, customers working from home, the redundancies in the public sector, cycle lanes and the Wellington City Council are all contributors," it said. "A heartful thank you goes to my entire team over the year. To our customers thank you for your amazing support." Photo: RNZ / Kate Green Beazley told Stuff the economic downturn and mass redundancies had "absolutely gutted" business in the capital. "There was a day on The Terrace where 2500 people were made redundant one Friday, we sold a lot of cakes, but we didn't see anybod...