To provide a radio communication apparatus, a method for controlling the operation of the apparatus, a memory medium and program therefor, which can reduce a power consumption, even after communication such as packet communication started.

A controller 4 in a personal computer (PC), when receiving from a printer an RX-FULL signal indicative of a printer-side reception buffer state, temporarily stops the transmission of data from the PC to the printer, transmits a hold mode transition instruction to the printer to stop the transmission/reception function of a printer-side radio communication apparatus, and controls to reduce power consumption. When during spooling of the print data, the controller transmits a hold mode transition instruction to the printer to stop the transmission/reception function of the printer-side radio communication apparatus, together with the PC-side radio communication apparatus for a time specified by the PC and controls to reduce the power consumption.