PURPOSE: To transmit a high quality picture transmission by compressing picture data and voice data and sending both of the data simultaneously so as to send the data with a high efficiency.

CONSTITUTION: A CPU 11 of a control section 3 sends out various control signals in the video telephone set to each section via a bus 9 and executes communication program in response to the type of a communication line. Moreover, the CPU 11 receives multiplexed picture and voice data from an opposite video telephone set, applies demultiplexing processing to the picture and voice data being a demodulated output from a MODEM section 6, outputs compressed picture data to a picture companding circuit 14 via the bus 9 and outputs compressed voice data to a voice companding circuit 20 via the bus 9. Moreover, the CPU 11 multiplexes the compressed picture data inputted from the circuit 14 and the compressed voice data inputted from the circuit 20 and sends the result to the MODEM section 6 as the picture voice data.