METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING COMMUNICATIONS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS TERMINALS

In methods and apparatus for providing communications to a telecommunications terminal, a request for a page of data is received at a data service node, the request specifying at least one particular terminal. A terminal status request is sent from the data service node to a communications system which serves the particular terminal, the terminal status request specifying the particular terminal. The data service node receives from the communications system a terminal status message containing information indicating a current status of the particular terminal. The data service node sends to the data terminal a page of data indicating the current status of the particular terminal. The page of data comprises a communications request icon when the particular terminal is in a state in which it can communications. Upon selection of the communications request icon at the data terminal, the data service node receives a communications request specifying another telecommunications terminal, and sends to the communications system a communications origination request to originate communications between the particular terminal and the other terminal. The particular terminal may be a mobile voice terminal having a display and being served by a wireless communications system. The page of data may include both a voice call request icon for initiating a voice call to the particular terminal, and a short message request icon for sending a short message to be displayed at the particular terminal.