The Tuesday unveiling of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Julius Genachowski before Congress has, as was being expected, raked a series of debates.

The FCC’s proposals, which essentially pertain to making high-speed Internet service faster and more popular, will be looked into by the Senate Commerce Committee at its next Tuesday hearing; while the House Energy and Commerce Committee has scheduled its own separate hearing for March 25.

With the FCC commissioners having specified potential problems in achieving the proposed ‘broadband connectivity from home’ for 100 million US residents, lawyer Jay Lefkowitz of the Kirkland & Ellis law firm said that the NBP would also likely witness opposition from “some folks who don't want to see the president get a victory.”

While it is also being anticipated that the NBP will fuel a prospective debate about the role of the broadcasters role in an Internet-centric scenario; Commissioner Robert McDowell has expressed apprehension about the broadband plan’s provision which would allow customers of cable and satellite companies to forego their company-supplied set-top box.

Noting that the FCC has been long wanting the consumer electronics companies to sell DVRs, video game players and other products that can tap all TV and Internet services, McDowell, cautioning the FCC to “tread gingerly,” said: “Technological mandates by the government almost never result in robust innovation.”