A mobile terminal includes a receiver for receiving text messages over an RF channel. The mobile terminal also includes a text-to-speech (TTS) converter that converts the transmitted text messages to an audible form. In this way, the present invention takes advantage of the reduced bandwidth required for transmitting text messages to provide an audible message to subscribers that use the mobile terminals. In an exemplary embodiment, the mobile terminal operates in a GSM communication system and receives text messages that are defined under short message service (SMS) protocol. Also, the TTS converter in the mobile terminal can be used to output the text menus of the mobile terminal's interface in speech (voice) format.