PURPOSE: To improve efficiency for the work of facsimile communication by notifying alternate service by data display or sound guidance to an originating source when starting the alternate service even while a called party side is occupied when deisgnating the alternate service.

CONSTITUTION: A called party facsimile equipment 501 is called from an originating source facsimile equipment 50 through a time division multiplexing system 4W communication line 506. When the called party is busy, a busy transfer destination address is exchanged for starting automatic busy transfer by an inter-station data communication line 505, and a facsimile store and forward exchange 503 is switched. At such a time, data are sent out from the exchange 502 to the store and forward exchange 503 with the addresses of the terminal 500 and the called party terminal 501 as communication information. After the communication is made possible, alternate communication is executed from the exchange 503 through an alternate communication route 509 to a called party facsimile terminal equipment 501 by the facsimile store and forward exchange.