For about US$2 billion, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners will acquire the privately held New Brunswick-based Xplornet, which delivers broadband internet and telephone services to roughly one million customers across the country. The sale is expected to be announced next month. (Bloomberg)

Talking point: Stonepeak, which specializes in low-risk traditional infrastructure assets, has a alluring property in Xplornet. Though relatively small—Bell, for example, has nearly four million internet subscribers—the company has a captive audience amongst its sizable rural clients base, many of whom don’t have access to competing services. Earlier this month, Xplornet acquired Southwestern Ontario rival Silo Wireless. What’s more, Bell recently announced a scaleback of its own rural internet plans following a decision from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to lower wholesale broadband prices.