A telecommunication system includes an added bit signalling method and apparatus for conveying signalling information between a head end (300) and multiple remote ends (500) connected over a passive distribution network. In accordance with the present invention, an added bit (NB) having an identifiable data sequence patterned thereon is appended to each channel within a succession of frames. The present invention therefore appends an added-bit sequence to each channel such that each channel sample carries its own multiframe and alignment information. The remote ends monitor the added bits to locate multiframing and alignment information and to identify individual time slots within each frame. The added bit can be further utilized for out-of-band signalling or to provide an additional data links.