A wireless terminal comprises a communications interface and a congestion controller. The communications interface communicates over a radio interface with a base station. The congestion controller, upon occurrence of a congestion indication, reduces uplink transmission power of the wireless terminal by lowering a transport format combination for use by the wireless terminal for transmitting an enhanced dedicated uplink channel (E-DCH) over the radio interface to the base station. In an example embodiment and mode, the congestion controller performs an expedited transport format combination reduction procedure which is distinct from Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH) power reduction based on a command received in a closed loop power control procedure, e.g., on a Fractional-DPCH (F-DPCH) channel.