The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that Canada's Big Three telcos have long maintained it was crucial to own their own infrastructure, even as their global peers sold off their cellphone towers for fortunes. The Globe's Irene Galea writes that now, the carriers are sizing up those assets for sale, and one just finalized a multibillion-dollar deal, laying the groundwork for its rivals to follow. For years, global telecoms have raised billions by divesting passive infrastructure assets, often to private equity or infrastructure funds, as part of strategic realignments of their businesses. Rogers, BCE's Bell Canada and Telus have long held tight to their infrastructure, insisting that controlling these assets was critical to efficiently delivering services. In recent months, though, they have changed their tune. Finally, Canadian companies are following their global peers. Debt is one key factor: Together, Rogers, Bell and Telus owe more than $100-billion, accrued over years of spectrum purchases, acquisitions and network expansion. Add to that a mature, deeply saturated market, slowing immigration growth and high interest rates. Altogether, this means that growth will be limited for the foreseeable future.