A method and apparatus for transmitting a single counting end message to reject the RRC connection requests of a plurality of terminals, thus minimizing the waste of radio resources and providing a quick response to those terminals that transmitted a connection request. RRC connection request messages are sent by a plurality of terminals to a network in response to an RRC connection-required message received from the network on a first channel. Each terminal monitors a second channel for an RRC connection setup message. The network establishes connections with a predetermined number of terminals by transmitting an RRC connection setup message to each terminal on the second channel and then transmits a single RRC connection-not-required message to the plurality of terminals on the first channel. Each terminal that does not receive an RRC connection setup message on the second channel after a predetermined period of time then monitors the first channel and, after receiving the RRC connection-not-required message, terminates the network connection procedure and does not re-transmit an RRC connection request message.