Abstract: A communication controller CCP includes line adapters (104-i) each having a storage which is loaded with a general application program during an initialization phase. The line adapters allow the attachment and the communication of different telecommunication entities, e.g. a LAN, a teleprocessing line etc. . . The CCP is connected by means of a control adapter to a local control terminal (100) which is associated with a storage for storing the different general application programs which are likely to be required by the different line adapters. A storage contains an access key comprising data relative to the types and the number of line adapters of any type which are authorized to be loaded with the general application program stored in the storage controlled by the control terminal. The CCP also has logic for checking whether a loading request received from one adapter complies with the contents of the stored access key in order to prevent the loading of an unauthorized line adapter.