PURPOSE: To automate an incoming call by confirming that other communication line is idle when any communication line has an incoming call in a terminal equipment to connect the terminal equipment to the incoming communication line automatically.

CONSTITUTION: When an incoming call comes to a communication line 6, a call signal detection circuit 17 detects a call signal sent from a public communication network via the communication line 6, then an idle/busy supervisory circuit 20 is referenced. Whether the idle/busy information of a communication line 8 held by an idle/busy supervisory circuit 20 represents the idle state or the busy state is checked. When the idle/busy information represents the idle state, it is decided via the communication line 8 that a facsimile terminal equipment 2 is not in the communication state and a request to connect the facsimile terminal equipment 2 to the line 6 is sent to a changeover control circuit 21. The switching control circuit 21 sets a changeover switch 22 to the communication line 6 based on the request from the call signal detection circuit 17.