Method of allocating a new frequency plan in a communication system

A method of allocating a new frequency plan in a communication system having an old frequency plan, said method comprising the steps of:

• comparing a set of channels in said new frequency plan to a set of channels in said old frequency plan;
• designating a channel which is in said new frequency plan and said old frequency plan as a first non-problem channel and a channel of said old frequency plan which is not in said new frequency plan as a problem channel;
• reassigning a communication unit previously assigned to said problem channel to said first non-problem channel if said first non-problem channel is available;
• implementing said new frequency plan;
• and
• reassigning said communication unit to a second non-problem channel in said new frequency plan if said communication unit is not reassigned to said first non-problem channel.

A method of allocating a new frequency plan in a communication system having an old frequency plan, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) entering said new frequency plan into a master controller of said communication system;
• (b) downloading said new frequency plan to a plurality of controllers of said communication system;
• (c) selecting said new frequency plan to be implemented by said communication system;
• (d) directing said plurality of controllers to reassign a communication unit operating on a problem channel in said old frequency plan to a non-problem channel in said old frequency plan if said non-problem channel is available;
• (e) reassigning said communication unit operating on said problem channel to said non-problem channel if said non-problem channel is available;
• (f) notifying said master controller that attempted reassigning of said communication unit is completed;
• (g) directing said plurality of controllers to activate said new frequency plan;
• (h) determining if said communication unit is still assigned to said problem channel;
• and
• (i) directing a hand-off of said communication unit from said problem channel to an available non-problem channel of said new frequency plan.