The Commerce Commission of New Zealand said that mobile service providers like Spark New Zealand (NZE:SPK, ASX:SPK) have responded positively to the guidelines issued last year, with providers now standardising their coverage maps and offering stronger protections for consumers, the regulator said in a Thursday statement.

"Consumers told us they wanted to use coverage maps to compare providers but found this difficult because the maps weren't consistent. We're working with industry and have fixed that problem," said Andrew Young, the commission's retail service quality manager.

The regulator noted that all providers now use the same coverage descriptors and thresholds, which makes comparisons easier and more reliable, and the companies have provided a clear exit right to consumers if real-world coverage doesn't match what was promised.

Spark New Zealand's Kiwi shares fell nearly 1% in recent Thursday trade.