The Cable Operators United Front on Wednesday claimed to have blacked out services in around 40 lakh (4 million) homes across the four metros, protesting that the Rs 72 for the free-to-air package post-CAS was "too low".

COUF, which said it has 25,000 operators in the four metros, which go under the conditional access system regime from September 1, held demonstrations in the cities demanding that the maximum rate notified by the government for the basic tier be raised to at least Rs 180.

COUF, which decided to suspend cable services from 1130 to 1430 hrs, claimed that the black out had been effective in 99 per cent of the 40-lakh cable homes it reached in the four metros.