TELECOMMUNICATIONS

A New Jersey phone company agreed to pay $1 million to 20 states, not including California, for phone “slamming”--changing a customer’s long-distance phone carrier without permission. Minimum Rate Pricing Inc. said it had stopped the practices cited by the states, but settled the complaints to save money. Under the settlement, one of the largest ever for slamming, MRP must notify all consumers who were switched to its service before Jan. 1 that they are entitled to have their phone charges recalculated as if they had not been slammed.