This Recommendation specifies the B-ISDN Meta-signalling protocol and procedures. The Meta‑signalling protocol and procedures define the activity that assigns Signalling Virtual Channels on the B-ISDN User Network Interface (UNI).
The Meta-signalling protocol and procedures must be invoked by B-ISDN terminals on a multiple access UNI so that it is possible for its signalling channels to be allocated by the network. Once the signalling channels have been allocated, the signalling protocol stack can be created and signalling can proceed.
Procedures exist to detect and remove multiple signalling channel assignments.
The Meta-signalling protocol operates over the Meta-signalling channel (Virtual Channel Identifier = 1) which must be available at all times on all UNIs.