In one of control methods of a bidirectional pumping type Raman amplifier according to the present invention, the power of a pumping light supplied to a rare-earth element doped optical fiber is increased or decreased, and a transmission wavelength characteristic of a dynamic gain equalizer is controlled according to a change in a gain wavelength characteristic occurring due to the increase or decrease of the power of the pumping light, to thereby extend a signal light band to either a short wavelength side or a long wavelength side. As a result, it becomes possible to realize a signal light band extension service at a low cost. Moreover, in another control method of the present invention, in a condition where the supply of backward pumping light to the transmission path fiber is shut off, a ratio of a change in the output power of the signal light to a change in the power of the forward pumping light is obtained, and the forward pumping light power is optimized in accordance with this ratio, to obtain a desired level diagram irrespective of a lump loss on the transmission path fiber.