A communication system is used to actuate multiple subscribers, particularly LED modules within a motor vehicle, specifically for ambient lighting. The communication system has a controller and subscribers. The subscribers are connected in series in a ring structure via a data line and each has a control unit. For actuating the individual subscribers, a data bus having a communication protocol, which has a linear juxtaposition of data packets, is used, wherein for each subscriber, a subscriber-specific data packet is provided. A respective data packet is divided into a subscriber portion and an information portion. The information portion contains a respective piece of information about the status of a subsequent subscriber portion. The information portion is overwritable by a respective subscriber. Each subscriber evaluates the respective first data packet that has the status “not received” and changes the status to “received”. This provides a communication system that requires no addressing.