Method and system of screening and control of telephone calls while using a packet-switched data network

A method for managing incoming calls from a calling party to a communication line of a user, where the user is connected to a packet-based data network, comprising:

• receiving an incoming call from the calling party;
• determining with a service control point how to handle the incoming call, including determining with information from a gateway system whether the user is connected to the packet-based data network;
• providing instructions from the service control point to a service switching point to supply a busy or call waiting signal to the calling party if the user is not connected to the packet-based data network;
• otherwise, forwarding the incoming call to the gateway system if the user is connected to the packet-based data network;
• and
• establishing a one-way voice connection to allow a called party to listen to the calling party contemporaneous with the calling party leaving a message and while the called party maintains a connection with the packet-based data network, without answering the incoming call.