From:      Clauss, Chris <CLAUSS1@applelink.apple.com>
To:        A16.A16(RM-8653)
Date:      7/22/95 6:15am
Subject:   Please approve Petition RM8653

                                   Before the
                        FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20554
  In the Matter of                                       )
                                                       )
Allocation of Spectrum in the 5 GHz Band               )  
RM-8653
To Establish a Wireless Component of the               )
National Information Infrastructure                    )
  In the Matter of                                       )
                                                       )
Petition for Rulemaking to Allocate                    )  
RM-8648 the 5.1 - 5.35 GHz Band and Adopt                      )
Service Rules for a Shared Unlicensed                  )
Personal Radio Network                                 )
 
    I would like to express my interest in seeing Petition
RM-8653 approved.
 
    I would also like to ask that Petition RM-8648 be rejected by
the FCC.
 
    It is my belief that the public would be well served by the
allocation of a small part of the huge broadcast spectrum for use
by private citizens, schools, and other organizations as
described in Petition RM-8653.  Modern communications have the
power to improve the way we live, work, play, and learn.  In many
ways the airwaves have become as important a natural resource as
the air we breath and the water we drink.  Airwaves are an vital
part of our environment and a portion should be reserved for
private citizen and education data use.  Public access networks
will empower our citizens and schools and dramaticly improve US
competitivness in the global economy.
 
    I have spent the last seven years working with K-12 schools
throughout New
York state to implement modern telecommunications and networking
technologies.
My goal has been to improve the way that students learn by
helping them to use and understand the modern technologies which
are changing our society in so many dramatic ways.  I have
witnessed first hand the powerful and benefitial effect that
computational and communications tools have had on the learning
process.  Students become energetic and active learners when they
utilize computer and telecommunications technologies in their
studies.  They take more pride in their work when they are
colaborating with others and they learn to have more empathy with
students who are different from themselves.  The success of
Internet in K-12 clearly demonstrates that pervasive
communications helps students to learn more as well as become
more understanding of others.  We need to get Internet tools into
the hands of our students as quickly as we can.
 
    Existing cable and telephone companies have done little to
foster a better education environment in American public schools. 
Even in 1995, most classrooms do not have telephones or
televisions.  Every single business in
America has a phone and yet very few classrooms do.  I find that
I have to act as "translator" for schools when they discuss data
communications with telcos and cable operators.  These
organizations are so focused on arcane technical details and
services that they are of little help to the schools in
understanding how data communications can improve the learning
process.  School teachers and administrators across the country
are spending an inordinate amount of time attempting to learn how
to cope with and acquire data services from the telco and cable
companies.  This is time that would be much better spent
providing students with a better education.  An open wireless
data communications infrastructure would allow teachers and
administrators to connect their schools together and increase
colaboration without having to waste valuable time learning telco
and cable TV technologies and procedures.
 
    Please let the free market do what it does best - provide
powerful and cheap technology to consumers.  Petition RM-8648
must be rejected because it seeks to increase the strangle hold
that telcos and cable operators have on schools.  These
organizations have not improved eduation in the past and further
enhancement of their already considerable power would be a major
step backwords for education reform in this country.  In
contrast, public education would be greatly enhanced if Petition
RM-8653 is approved.  The market would quickly create inexpensive
yet powerful wireless hardware which would be much easier for
schools to understand and implement without the cost of high
priced datacomm consultants and service fees.  Schools are
already underfunded for the vital work that we ask them to
perform.  We have a moral obligation to give our students the
best education that we possibly can and to give schools the tools
needed to make them successful.
 
    Please act now to improve students' access to the important
technologies of the future.  This will greatly enhance the
learning process and provide us with students that are more
likely to be successful when moving into the business world.  We
have the opportunity to get the advantages of modern technology
into the hands of our students.  Please approve Petition RM-8653
and reject Petition
RM-8648 for the sake of our kids and to improve the USA's
competitivness in the global economy.
 
    Thank you for your careful consideration of this vital
matter,
 
    Christian C. Clauss
    87 Willowick Drive
    Fairport, NY  14450
    716/248-4323
    clauss1@applelink.apple.com
 



CC:        Lovette, James <LOVETTE@applelink.apple.com>