Update: Following Idea's pledge for points of interconnect, Airtel said that it will be providing additional points of interconnect to handle calls from Reliance Jio. Airtel said that with its upgrade, it will be able to serve 15 million customers but did not give out a specific number of POIs. It however said that it would be increasing POIs three times of its current numbers. Earlier: Telecom operator Idea Cellular will be adding 196 points of interconnect (POIs) shortly in order to handle 1.85 million more customers from Reliance Jio where calls originate. "This additional capacity will provide for a buffer of 119% against the August subscriber volumes," Idea said in a statement. The company said that in August 2016, there were 2.97 million Jio subscribers who ended calls on Jio's network. "Our current allocation of POIs would in normal circumstances cater to 4.65 million such subscribers indicating a buffer of 57% in calling capacity," Idea added. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Amabani last month announced that all voice calls from Jio's network would be free. At the same time, he sounded a warning to existing telecom operators and said that they must not use their existing dominant position and ensure that there is fair play with new entrants in the telecom business. He added that 5 crore calls from Jio’s network were choked due to interconnect issues. Idea, the third largest telecom operator in the country, said that there was an unprecedented asymmetry of traffic of 14.5 times between Jio and their…
