Radio communication system with power saving disablement prior to call handling processes

A radio communication system comprises a base station for periodically transmitting a power saving signal and an information signal, a repeater station for relaying the signals, and a plurality of terminal stations for communicating with the base station through the repeater station. The repeater station includes power saving circuitry which responds to the power saving signal by cutting off power supplies to its major power consumptive components during a preset interval which alternates with an active interval during which power is supplied to the components. Each terminal station includes power saving circuitry responsive to the power saving signal relayed by the repeater station to cut off power supplies to its major power consumptive components during the preset interval and power saving disabling circuitry for transmitting a power saving disabling signal to the repeater station during the active interval in response to a request for call and disabling its power saving circuitry for the duration of the preset interval. The repeater station responds to the power saving disabling signal from a terminal station to disable its power saving circuitry for the duration of the preset interval to thereby permit the information signal to be relayed to the terminal station which has transmitted the power saving disabling signal. The terminal station then transmits a call request signal to the repeater station to permit it to be handled during the interval in which power saving is disabled.