Telcos seek 24 months’ extension to implement DPDP rules

Telecom operators in India are seeking a two-year extension from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to comply with the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. The request was made during preliminary discussions about the DPDP rules earlier this month. The telecom industry flagged several concerns such as consent management responsibilities, compliance burdens, and process duplication. They stressed that at least two years would be required for effective implementation.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) released draft rules for public feedback on January 3, with a deadline likely extended beyond February 18.

At a meeting with DoT, the telecom executive, as part of license agreements, also emphasized the need for synergy between DoT and MeitY to prevent rule duplication. They raised concerns over growing compliance requirements and regulatory overreach.

"Today, telcos offer multiple services besides mobile, such as DTH and broadband. There has to be a unified solution," an executive added. 

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Under the DPDP Act, telecom operators will likely be classified as significant data fiduciaries (SDFs) considering the huge volumes of personal data they deal with. The proposed 24-month timeline would also give these operators time to revise their customer application forms and modify their existing tech frameworks for effective user consent management for data usage/processing.