In the late 1970s, similar to policy changes implemented by AT&T in the U.S., MTS allowed its customers to purchase their own telephone equipment and with this, provided free installation of RJ11 telephone jacks. In July 1979, MTS announced that it would be a pioneer in Telidon-based two-way electronic information services. The trial was called "Project IDA" and ran from 1980 to 1981. MTS was a pioneer in offering videotex at the commercial level. In 1981, it partnered with Infomart (then owned by the Torstar and Southam newspaper chains) to create the Grassroots service, providing information relevant to farmers on the Canadian prairies. Customers paid $47.50 per month to subscribe to Grassroots, plus connection fees to DATAPAC. Terminal equipment was manufactured by Norpak. They opened "MTS Phone Centre" stores in shopping malls to sell residential and business phones and services, and in 1984 opened two "MTS Business Centre" locations (Commodity Exchange Tower lobby and Empress St. office) to provide sales of business-level equipment. In the mid-1980s, MTS started a subsidiary known as MTX, which had invested in telecommunications in Saudi Arabia. However MTX was forced to shut down after controversy about the company back in Manitoba after MTX lost $27 million on the venture. In the late 1980s MTS launched MTS Mobility providing cellular and paging services in Manitoba   after competitor Cantel was allowed to set up the cellular radio infrastructure and market the service before MTS. In 1996, the Provincial government of Premier Gary Filmon decided to sell the Manitoba Telephone System to private shareholders. The decision to privatize was seen as controversial, as it marked a significant departure from the Progressive Conservatives' earlier position that MTS should remain provincially owned. In January 1999, MTS partnered with "Bell Canada" to form "Intrigna", a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) which was created to expand telecommunications options for the business market in Alberta and British Columbia. As part of the deal, "Bell Canada" gained 20% ownership of MTS. They set up a jointly operated office in Calgary. By the summer of 1999, fibre optic cable had been laid in Edmonton and Calgary, and later extended to Vancouver, British Columbia. In August 1999, MTS completed work on a new trunked (digital) radio system known as "FleetNet 800", technology licensed from neighbouring SaskTel.