A multimedia communication system is disclosed in which a mobile telephone that originates transmission can detect the media types and formats of a multimedia message that can be received by destination mobile telephones. Information regarding data formats that can be received by each mobile telephone is stored in an MMS user database server. The MMS user database server receives from the transmission-origin mobile telephone destination information and format information for each media type of the multimedia message that is to be transmitted and determines whether the multimedia message can be received at the transmission-destination mobile telephones based on this destination information and format information. The MMS user database server then notifies the transmission-origin mobile telephone the results of the determination, whereupon the transmission-origin mobile telephone determines whether to transmit the multimedia message without alteration or to modify the format of the multimedia message.