A "roadmap" for successfully meeting and complying with the FCC's January 1, 2013 narrowband deadline for all Part 90 business, educational, industrial, public safety, and local and state government two way radio system licensees currently operating legacy "wideband" (25 KHz) voice or data/SCADA radio systems in the 150-174 MHz (VHF) and 421-512 MHz (UHF) bands.

Note that Low-Band VHF (30-50 MHz), 220, 700, 800, and 900 MHz radio systems are exempt from the mandate.

1) Verify that your company or organization has a required current and valid FCC Part 90 radio station license. It is illegal to operate any Part 90 radio system without one.

2) Conduct a full inventory of all radios in your system, including all portable (hand-carried) radios, all mobile (in-vehicle) radios, all dispatcher-used radios, all paging receivers and transmitters, all wireless data or SCADA radios, and - in particular - all on or off-site base or repeater radios. It is very important to list the specific makes and model numbers of all radios inventoried. It might also be wise to note the serial numbers of each for internal tracking purposes.

3) Work with a local professional two way radio service vendor for assistance in determining which models are capable of simply being re-programmed for narrowband operation and which models are not. Note that radio equipment manufactured after 1997 should be narrowband capable; pre-1997 radios may not be. Any radio that cannot be re-programmed to narrowband operation will need to be replaced.

4) Initiate the internal business process of budgeting for and procuring any new narrowband capable replacement radios as may be necessary. Any new radios procured should NOT be programmed for narrowband operation at this time. Operating in "mixed mode" - i.e. using both "wideband" and "narrowband" radios on the same frequency in the same system - is NOT recommended, particularly in data or SCADA systems. If at all possible, any new radios procured should continue to operate in the "wideband" mode until the actual switch from "wideband" to "narrowband" operation is made.

5) Develop a "wideband"-to-"narrowband" system conversion plan that reflect well-planned, coordinated logistical and implementation strategies needed to accommodate a) the replacement and installation in advance of any new narrowband capable off-site base or repeater station radio(s) needed and b), the actual coordinated reprogramming of all radios in a system as close to simultaneously as possible to assure minimal disruption to normal radio communication operations.  It is highly recommended that your company or organization work closely with a professional two way radio service vendor during the development of any system conversion plan to insure there will be "no surprises" during the actual "narrowbanding" cutover.

6) Coordinate and schedule with your radio service vendor as soon as possible dates and times for the actual system conversion, making certain that all internal and authorized external, interoperable users of the radio system have been advised in advance and are aware of the changes being made to your system.

7) The final step in the "narrowbanding" process is to modify your FCC radio station license to remove any  "wideband" emission designators, replacing them with the correct "narrowband" emission designators. This would also be an opportunity to make any other changes or updates to a license that may be required - i.e licensee name and contact names, address change, telephone number change, email address change, and any major technical changes that have been made over the years. It is strongly recommended that you employ the  services of a reputable and qualified FCC licensing assistance firm, FCC certified frequency coordinator, or professional two way radio communications service company to help you with this process.

Do NOT wait until the last minute to begin or complete the "narrowbanding" process - by doing so, you will be risking not only the use of your current radio frequency, but the investment and ROI you have made in your radio system equipment as well.

Non-compliance will result in monetary fines and/or the cancellation of your license(s) by the FCC.