A communications method, the method comprising: operating a first wireless terminal, at different times, in each one of three different operational states (404, 410, 408), the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state, wherein operating the first wireless terminal in the first state includes using a first amount of a control communications resource to communicate control information between said first wireless terminal and a base station and performing, using some of said first amount of a control communications resource, power control signaling operations at a first rate; wherein operating the first wireless terminal in the second state includes using a second amount of the control communications resource to communicate control information between said first wireless terminal and the base station and using some of said second amount of the control communications resource to perform power control signaling operations at a second rate, the second rate being lower than said first rate; wherein operating the first wireless terminal in the third state includes using less of the control communications resource than is used by the first wireless terminal in either of the first or second states, and operating the first wireless terminal to transition from one of said first and second states to said third state, the step of transitioning from one of said first and second states to said third state including reducing the rate of power control signaling operations, characterized in that operating the first wireless terminal in the first state to use a first amount of a control communications resource includes: operating the first wireless terminal to perform timing control signaling operations, including monitoring for timing controls signals, decoding said timing control signals and performing timing control update operations in response to the decoded timing control signals, wherein timing control update operations are performed in said first state but not in said third state, the method further comprising the step of: operating the first wireless terminal to transition from said third state to one of said first and said second states, the step of transitioning to one of said first and second states including resuming performance of timing control update operations. operating a first wireless terminal, at different times, in each one of three different operational states (404, 410, 408), the three different operational states including a first state, a second state and a third state, wherein operating the first wireless terminal in the first state includes using a first amount of a control communications resource to communicate control information between said first wireless terminal and a base station and performing, using some of said first amount of a control communications resource, power control signaling operations at a first rate; wherein operating the first wireless terminal in the second state includes using a second amount of the control communications resource to communicate control information between said first wireless terminal and the base station and using some of said second amount of the control communications resource to perform power control signaling operations at a second rate, the second rate being lower than said first rate; wherein operating the first wireless terminal in the third state includes using less of the control communications resource than is used by the first wireless terminal in either of the first or second states, and operating the first wireless terminal to transition from one of said first and second states to said third state, the step of transitioning from one of said first and second states to said third state including reducing the rate of power control signaling operations, characterized in that operating the first wireless terminal in the first state to use a first amount of a control communications resource includes: operating the first wireless terminal to perform timing control signaling operations, including monitoring for timing controls signals, decoding said timing control signals and performing timing control update operations in response to the decoded timing control signals, wherein timing control update operations are performed in said first state but not in said third state, the method further comprising the step of: operating the first wireless terminal to transition from said third state to one of said first and said second states, the step of transitioning to one of said first and second states including resuming performance of timing control update operations. operating the first wireless terminal to perform timing control signaling operations, including monitoring for timing controls signals, decoding said timing control signals and performing timing control update operations in response to the decoded timing control signals, wherein timing control update operations are performed in said first state but not in said third state, the method further comprising the step of: operating the first wireless terminal to transition from said third state to one of said first and said second states, the step of transitioning to one of said first and second states including resuming performance of timing control update operations. operating the first wireless terminal to transition from said third state to one of said first and said second states, the step of transitioning to one of said first and second states including resuming performance of timing control update operations.