TORONTO -- Rogers Communications Inc. is selling a minority stake in a portion of its wireless network infrastructure for $7 billion amid a "pivot" in strategy as it seeks to pay down debt. The transaction, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter, involves a "leading global financial investor" that will acquire a minority interest in the infrastructure that transports data from Rogers's cell towers to its core network. The company announced the deal Thursday as it reported its third-quarter earnings, with a profit of $526 million compared with a loss a year ago. Chief financial officer Glenn Brandt said Rogers would maintain full operational control for its entire national wireless network under the agreement. Neither its cell towers nor spectrum holdings are involved in the deal, Brandt told analysts on the company's conference call.