PURPOSE: To eliminate the need to prepare a remote maintenance program by informing a center device of the contents of possible maintenance from facsimile equipment when the facsimile equipment is maintained remotely from the center device through a telephone line.

CONSTITUTION: A service center which receives a maintenance request inputs and stores the data to be maintained in the memory of the center device 1 and then dials the number of the facsimile equipment 3 to be maintained from the facsimile equipment of the center to connect a line. By the line connection, the reception-side facsimile equipment 3 sends a normal control procedure signal to the transmission-side facsimile equipment 1. Once receiving this signal, the control circuit 4 of the facsimile equipment 1 sends a signal as an answer signal to the reception side and the control circuit 4 of the reception-side facsimile equipment 3 which receives the signal sends a signal showing the acknowledgement of a maintenance communication to the facsimile equipment 1 of the center.