##### Table of Contents



UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549 FORM 10-Q þ
    
    Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 For the Quarterly Period Ended September 30, 2004 OR o
    
    Transition Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 For the Transition Period From ___________ to ___________ Commission file number 001-07260 Nortel Networks Corporation  Canada
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation ororganization)
    
    Not Applicable
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)8200 Dixie Road, Suite 100
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
(Address of principal executive offices)
    
    L6T 5P6
(Zip Code)
 Registrants telephone number including area code (905) 863-0000 Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by
Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for
such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been
subject to filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes          No ü Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of
the Act). Yesü          No Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuers classes of common stock, as at
February 28, 2005 4,268,236,086 without nominal or par value




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EXPLANATORY NOTE Nortel Networks Corporation previously announced the need to restate its consolidated financial
statements for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 and each of its first three quarterly
periods for 2003. The unaudited consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2003 and the unaudited consolidated statements of cash flows for the nine months ended
September 30, 2003, including the applicable notes, contained in this Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q, have been restated. A number of Nortels past filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission remain
subject to ongoing review by the United States Securities and Exchange Commissions Division of
Corporation Finance. In addition, the Second Restatement (as defined below) involved the
restatement of Nortels consolidated financial statements for 2001 and 2002 and the first, second
and third quarters of 2003. Amendments to Nortels prior filings with the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission would be required in order for Nortel to be in full compliance with
Nortels reporting obligations under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. However, Nortel does not
believe that it will be feasible to amend Nortels Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended
December 31, 2002, or 2002 Form 10-K/A, and our 2003 Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, or 2003 Form
10-Qs, due to, among other factors, identified material weaknesses in Nortels internal control
over financial reporting, the significant turnover in Nortels finance personnel, changes in
accounting systems, documentation weaknesses, a likely inability to obtain third party
corroboration in certain cases due to the substantial industry adjustment in recent years and the
passage of time generally. In addition, disclosure in the 2002 Form 10-K/A and 2003 Form 10-Qs
would in large part repeat the disclosure contained in our 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K, this
report and our other 2004 Form 10-Qs. Accordingly, Nortel does not plan to amend our 2002 Form
10-K/A and 2003 Form 10-Qs. Nortel believes that it has included in our 2003 Annual Report on Form
10-K and in this report all information needed for current investor understanding. Ongoing United
States Securities and Exchange Commission review may require Nortel to amend this Quarterly Report
on Form 10-Q or Nortels other public filings. For a description of the restatements, see Restatement in note 2 of the unaudited consolidated
financial statements and Item 2 Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and
Results of Operations  Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review;
restatements; related matters contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. 2




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TABLE OF CONTENTS PART I
FINANCIAL INFORMATION PAGEITEM 1.
    
    Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
    
    
    5ITEM 2.
    
    Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations
    
    
    65ITEM 3.
    
    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About
Market Risk
    
    
    133ITEM 4.
    
    Controls and Procedures
    
    
    133PART II
OTHER INFORMATIONITEM 1.
    
    Legal Proceedings
    
    
    146ITEM 6.
    
    Exhibits
    
    
    148SIGNATURES
    
    
    
    
    149
  All dollar amounts in this document are in United States dollars unless otherwise stated. NORTEL, NORTEL NETWORKS, NORTEL NETWORKS LOGO, NT, the GLOBEMARK, BAYSTACK, OPTERA and PASSPORT are
trademarks of Nortel. MOODYS is a trademark of Moodys Investor Services, Inc. RCMP is a trademark of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. S&P and STANDARD & POORS are trademarks of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Any other company or product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. 3




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PART IFINANCIAL INFORMATION PAGEITEM 1.
    

Consolidated
Financial Statements (unaudited)
    
    
    5ITEM 2.
    
    Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial
Condition and Results of Operations
    
    
    65ITEM 3.
    
    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About
Market Risk
    
    
    133ITEM 4.
    
    Controls and Procedures
    
    
    133
  4




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NORTEL NETWORKS CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,(millions of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts)
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003As restated *
    
    
    
    
    
    As restated *Revenues
    
    $
    2,179
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    7,213
    
    
    $
    6,927Cost of revenues
    
    
    1,393
    
    
    
    1,214
    
    
    
    4,319
    
    
    
    4,020Gross profit
    
    
    786
    
    
    
    1,130
    
    
    
    2,894
    
    
    
    2,907Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    512
    
    
    
    527
    
    
    
    1,596
    
    
    
    1,458Research and development expense
    
    
    501
    
    
    
    455
    
    
    
    1,465
    
    
    
    1,440Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    98Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    16Special charges
    
    
    93
    
    
    
    80
    
    
    
    99
    
    
    
    198(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    (39
    )
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (114
    )
    
    
    (6
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    (283
    )
    
    
    52
    
    
    
    (159
    )
    
    
    (297
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    44
    
    
    
    148
    
    
    
    112
    
    
    
    302Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (45
    )
    
    
    (45
    )
    
    
    (132
    )
    
    
    (136
    )Other
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (18
    )
    
    
    (22
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income
taxes, minority interests and equity in net loss
of associated companies
    
    
    (287
    )
    
    
    147
    
    
    
    (197
    )
    
    
    (153
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    4(257
    )
    
    
    111
    
    
    
    (165
    )
    
    
    (149
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    (29
    )
    
    
    (52
    )Equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (38
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    (264
    )
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    (196
    )
    
    
    (239
    )Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    43
    
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    157Net earnings (loss) before cumulative effect
of accounting change
    
    
    (259
    )
    
    
    131
    
    
    
    (184
    )
    
    
    (82
    )Cumulative effect of accounting change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    (259
    )
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    (184
    )
    
    $
    (94
    )Basic earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.02
    
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    ) from discontinued operations
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.04Basic earnings (loss) per common share
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
    
    $
    (0.02
    )Diluted earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.02
    
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    ) from discontinued operations
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.04Diluted earnings (loss) per common share
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
    
    $
    (0.02
    )
 * See note 2 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements 5




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NORTEL NETWORKS CORPORATION
Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) September 30,
    
    
    December 31,(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    2004
    
    
    2003ASSETSCurrent assetsCash and cash equivalents
    
    $
    3,390
    
    
    $
    3,997Restricted cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    77
    
    
    
    63Accounts receivable  net
    
    
    2,134
    
    
    
    2,505Inventories  net
    
    
    1,503
    
    
    
    1,190Income taxes recoverable
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    90Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    229
    
    
    
    369Other current assets
    
    
    312
    
    
    
    315Total current assets
    
    
    7,698
    
    
    
    8,529Investments
    
    
    170
    
    
    
    244Plant and equipment  net
    
    
    1,591
    
    
    
    1,656Goodwill
    
    
    2,304
    
    
    
    2,305Intangible assets  net
    
    
    79
    
    
    
    86Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    3,610
    
    
    
    3,397Other assets
    
    
    337
    
    
    
    374Total assets
    
    $
    15,789
    
    
    $
    16,591LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCurrent liabilitiesNotes payable
    
    $
    13
    
    
    $
    17Trade and other accounts payable
    
    
    703
    
    
    
    861Payroll and benefit-related liabilities
    
    
    507
    
    
    
    764Contractual liabilities
    
    
    636
    
    
    
    530Restructuring liabilities
    
    
    190
    
    
    
    206Other accrued liabilities
    
    
    2,400
    
    
    
    2,505Long-term debt due within one year
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    119Total current liabilities
    
    
    4,462
    
    
    
    5,002Long-term debt
    
    
    3,862
    
    
    
    3,891Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    170
    
    
    
    191Other liabilities
    
    
    2,938
    
    
    
    2,945Total liabilities
    
    
    11,432
    
    
    
    12,029Minority interests in subsidiary companies
    
    
    619
    
    
    
    617Commitments and contingencies (notes 13 and 19)SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCommon shares, without par value  Authorized
shares: unlimited; Issued and outstanding shares:4,272,671,213 as of September 30, 2004 and 4,166,714,475 as of December 31, 2003
    
    
    33,840
    
    
    
    33,674Additional paid-in capital
    
    
    3,261
    
    
    
    3,341Accumulated deficit
    
    
    (32,716
    )
    
    
    (32,532
    )Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    
    
    (647
    )
    
    
    (538
    )Total shareholders equity
    
    
    3,738
    
    
    
    3,945Total liabilities and shareholders equity
    
    $
    15,789
    
    
    $
    16,591
 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements 6




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NORTEL NETWORKS CORPORATION
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) Nine months ended September 30,(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    2004
    
    
    2003As restated *Cash flows from (used in) operating activitiesNet earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    $
    (196
    )
    
    $
    (239
    )Adjustments to reconcile net earnings (loss) from continuing operations to net cash from
(used
in) operating activities, net of effects from acquisitions and divestitures of businesses:Amortization and depreciation
    
    
    260
    
    
    
    429Non-cash portion of special charges and related asset write downs
    
    
    
    
    
    
    87Equity in net loss of associated companies
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    38Stock option compensation
    
    
    55
    
    
    
    35Deferred income taxes
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    (17
    )Other liabilities
    
    
    190
    
    
    
    94Gain on repurchases of outstanding debt securities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )(Gain) loss on sale or write down of investments and businesses
    
    
    (147
    )
    
    
    (8
    )Other  net
    
    
    (288
    )
    
    
    (618
    )Change in operating assets and liabilities
    
    
    (325
    )
    
    
    (82
    )Net cash from (used in) operating activities of continuing operations
    
    
    (461
    )
    
    
    (285
    )Cash flows from (used in) investing activitiesExpenditures for plant and equipment
    
    
    (194
    )
    
    
    (105
    )Proceeds on disposals of plant and equipment
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    22Acquisitions of investments and businesses  net of cash acquired
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    
    (53
    )Proceeds on sale of investments and businesses
    
    
    143
    
    
    
    51Net cash from (used in) investing activities of continuing operations
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (85
    )Cash flows from (used in) financing activitiesIncrease (decrease) in notes payable  net
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (39
    )Repayments of long-term debt
    
    
    (107
    )
    
    
    (267
    )Repayments of capital leases payable
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (9
    )Dividends paid by subsidiaries to minority interests
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    (26
    )Issuance of common shares
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    2Net cash from (used in) financing activities of continuing operations
    
    
    (108
    )
    
    
    (339
    )Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    97Net cash from (used in) continuing operations
    
    
    (623
    )
    
    
    (612
    )Net cash from (used in) discontinued operations
    
    
    16
    
    
    
    389Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    (607
    )
    
    
    (223
    )Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
    
    
    3,997
    
    
    
    3,790Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
    
    $
    3,390
    
    
    $
    3,567
 * See note 2 The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements 7




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NORTEL NETWORKS CORPORATION
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
(millions of U.S. dollars, except per share amounts, unless otherwise stated)  1.
    
    Significant accounting policiesBasis of presentationThe unaudited consolidated financial statements of Nortel Networks Corporation (Nortel)
have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States (U.S.) (GAAP) and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (the SEC) for the preparation of interim financial information. They do not
include all information and notes required by U.S. GAAP in the preparation of annual
consolidated financial statements. The accounting policies used in the preparation of the
unaudited consolidated financial statements are the same as those described in Nortels audited
consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for the year ended
December 31, 2003, except as described in note 3. Although Nortel is headquartered in Canada,
the unaudited consolidated financial statements are expressed in U.S. dollars as the greater
part of the financial results and net assets of Nortel are denominated in U.S. dollars.Nortel makes estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and
liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the
consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the
reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates. Estimates are used when
accounting for items and matters such as revenue recognition and accruals for losses on
contracts, allowances for uncollectible accounts receivable and customer financing, receivables
sales, inventory obsolescence, product warranty, amortization, asset valuations, impairment
assessments, employee benefits including pensions, taxes, restructuring and other provisions,
stock-based compensation and contingencies.As described in note 2, the unaudited consolidated statements of operations for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2003, and the unaudited consolidated statement of cash flows for
the nine months ended September 30, 2003, including the applicable notes, were restated.Nortel believes all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results for the periods
presented have been made and all such adjustments were of a normal recurring nature unless
otherwise disclosed. The financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2004 are not necessarily indicative of financial results for the full year. The unaudited
consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with Nortels Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 filed with the SEC (Nortel 2003 Annual Report).Comparative figuresCertain 2003 figures in the unaudited consolidated financial statements have been
reclassified to conform to the 2004 presentation and certain 2003 figures have been restated as
set out in note 2.Recent accounting pronouncements  (a)
    
    In March 2004, the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) reached consensus on Issue No.
03-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain
Investments (EITF 03-1). EITF 03-1 provides guidance on determining when an investment
is considered impaired, whether that impairment is other than temporary and the measurement
of an impairment loss. EITF 03-1 is applicable to marketable debt and equity securities
within the scope of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (SFAS) No. 115,
Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities (SFAS 115), and SFAS
No. 124, Accounting for Certain Investments Held by Not-for-Profit Organizations, and
equity securities that are not subject to the scope of SFAS 115 and not accounted for under
the equity method of accounting. In September 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards
Board (FASB) issued FASB Staff Position (FSP) EITF 03-1-1, Effective Date of
Paragraphs 10-20 of EITF Issue No. 03-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment
and Its Application to Certain Investments, which delays the effective date for the
measurement and recognition criteria contained in EITF 03-1 until final application
guidance is issued. The delay does not suspend the requirement to recognize
other-than-temporary impairments as required by existing authoritative literature. The
adoption of EITF 03-1 is not expected to have a material impact on Nortels results of
operations and financial position. 8




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(b)
    
    On September 30, 2004, the EITF reached a consensus on Issue No. 04-8, The Effect of
Contingently Convertible Debt on Diluted Earnings Per Share (EITF 04-8), which addresses
when the dilutive effect of contingently convertible debt instruments should be included in
diluted earnings (loss) per share. EITF 04-8 requires that contingently convertible debt
instruments be included in the computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share regardless
of whether the market price trigger has been met. EITF 04-8 also requires that prior
period diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts presented for comparative purposes be
restated. EITF 04-8 is effective for reporting periods ending after December 15, 2004.
The adoption of EITF 04-8 will not have an impact on Nortels diluted earnings (loss) per
share.(c)
    
    In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment
(SFAS 123R), which requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of
employee stock options, to be recognized as compensation expense in the consolidated
financial statements based on their fair values. SFAS 123R also modifies certain
measurement and expense recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation (SFAS 123), that will impact Nortel, including the requirement to estimate
employee forfeitures each period when recognizing compensation expense, and requiring that
the initial and subsequent measurement of the cost of liability-based service awards each
period be based on the fair value (instead of the intrinsic value) of the award. This
statement is effective as of the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after
June 15, 2005. Nortel elected to expense employee stock-based compensation using the fair
value method prospectively for all awards granted or modified on or after January 1, 2003
in accordance with SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation  Transition and
Disclosure  an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 123 (SFAS 148). Nortel is currently
assessing the impact of SFAS 123R on its results of operations and financial position.(d)
    
    In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, Inventory Costs (SFAS 151). SFAS
151 requires that abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs, and
wasted material (spoilage), be recognized as current-period charges rather than capitalized
as a component of inventory costs. In addition, SFAS 151 requires that allocation of fixed
production overheads to inventory based on the normal capacity of the production
facilities. This statement is effective for inventory costs incurred in fiscal periods
beginning after June 15, 2005. The guidance should be applied
prospectively. Nortel is currently assessing the impact of SFAS 151 on its
results of operations and financial position.  2.
    
    RestatementFirst RestatementIn May 2003, Nortel commenced certain balance sheet reviews at the direction of certain members
of former management that led to a comprehensive review and analysis of its assets and
liabilities (the Comprehensive Review), which resulted in the restatement (effected in
December 2003) of its consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2002,
2001 and 2000 and for the quarters ended March 31, 2003 and June 30, 2003 (the First
Restatement).The Comprehensive Review purported to (i) identify balance sheet accounts that, as of June 30,
2003, were not supportable and required adjustment; (ii) determine whether such adjustments
related to the third quarter of 2003 or prior periods; and (iii) document certain account
balances in accordance with Nortels accounting policies and procedures. The Comprehensive
Review was supplemented by additional procedures carried out between July 2003 and November 2003
to quantify the effects of potential adjustments in the relevant periods and review the
appropriateness of releases of certain contractual liability and other related provisions (also
called accruals, reserves or accrued liabilities) in the six fiscal quarters ending with the
fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2003 and formed the basis for the adjustments made to the
financial statements in the First Restatement.On December 23, 2003, Nortel filed with the SEC an amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the
year ended December 31, 2002 (the 2002 Form 10-K/A) and amended Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q/A for the first and second quarters of 2003 (the 2003 Form 10-Q/As) reflecting the First
Restatement. As disclosed in those reports, the net effect of the First Restatement adjustments
was a reduction in accumulated deficit of $497, $178 and $31 as of December 31, 2002, 2001 and
2000, respectively.Second RestatementIn late October 2003, the Audit Committee of Nortel and Nortel Networks Limited (NNL) Boards
of Directors (the Audit Committee) initiated an independent review of the facts and
circumstances leading to the First Restatement (the Independent Review) and engaged the law
firm now known as Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP 9




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(WCPHD) to advise it in connection with the Independent Review. The Audit Committee sought to
gain a full understanding of the events that caused significant excess liabilities to be
maintained on the balance sheet that needed to be restated, and to recommend that the Board
adopt, and direct management to implement, necessary remedial measures to address personnel,
controls, compliance and discipline. The Independent Review focused initially on events
relating to the establishment and release of contractual liability and other related provisions
in the second half of 2002 and the first half of 2003, including the involvement of senior
corporate leadership. As the Independent Review evolved, its focus broadened to include
specific provisioning activities in each of the business units and geographic regions. In light
of concerns raised in the initial phase of the Independent Review, the Audit Committee expanded
the review to include provisioning activities in the third and fourth quarters of 2003.As the Independent Review progressed, the Audit Committee directed new corporate management to
examine in depth the concerns identified by WCPHD regarding provisioning activity and to review
provision releases in each of the four quarters of 2003, down to a low threshold. That
examination, and other errors identified by management, led to the restatement of Nortels
consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 and the
quarters ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, June 30, 2003 and 2002 and September 30, 2003 and 2002
(the Second Restatement).Over the course of the Second Restatement process, management also identified certain accounting
practices that it determined should be adjusted as part of the Second Restatement. In
particular, management identified certain errors related to revenue recognition and undertook a
process of revenue reviews. In light of the resulting adjustments to revenues previously
reported, the Audit Committee has determined to review the facts and circumstances leading to
the restatement of these revenues for specific transactions identified in the Second
Restatement. This review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to
the initial recognition of these revenues.Other accounting practices that management examined and adjusted as part of the Second
Restatement included, among other things, the following:  
    
    Nortels foreign exchange accounting as part of managements plan to address an
identified material weakness related to foreign currency translation;
    
    intercompany balances that did not eliminate upon consolidation and related
provisions;
    
    the accounting treatment of the February 2001 acquisition of the 980 NPLC
business from JDS Uniphase Corporation (JDS) and the related OEM Purchase and Sale
Agreement;
    
    special charges relating to goodwill, inventory impairment, contract settlement
costs and other charges; and
    
    the accounting treatment of certain elements of discontinued operations.  Due to, among other factors, significant turnover in Nortels finance personnel, changes in
accounting systems, documentation weaknesses and identified material weaknesses in internal
control over financial reporting, the Second Restatement involved hundreds of Nortel finance
personnel and a number of outside consultants and advisors. The process required the review and
verification of a substantial number of documents and communications and related accounting
entries over multiple fiscal periods. In addition, the review of accruals and provisions and
the application of accounting literature to certain matters in the Second Restatement, including
revenue recognition, foreign exchange, special charges and discontinued operations, was
complicated by the passage of time, lack of availability of supporting records and the turnover
of finance personnel. As a result of this complexity, estimates and assumptions that impact
both the quantum of the various recorded adjustments and the fiscal period to which they were
attributed were required in the determination of certain of the Second Restatement adjustments.
Nortel believes the procedures followed in determining such estimates were appropriate and
reasonable using the best available information.The following tables present the impact of the Second Restatement adjustments on Nortels
previously reported consolidated statements of operations and a summary of the adjustments from
the Second Restatement for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003. The Second
Restatement adjustments related primarily to the following items, each of which reflect a number
of related adjustments that have been aggregated for disclosure purposes, and are described in
the paragraphs following the tables below:  
    
    Revenues and cost of revenues;
    
    Foreign exchange; 10




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##### Table of Contents




    
    Intercompany balances;
    
    Special charges;
    
    Other;
    
    Reclassifications; and
    
    Discontinued operations. Consolidated Statements of Operations Three months ended September 30, 2003
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30, 2003As previously
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    As previouslyreported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restated
    
    
    reported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restatedRevenues
    
    $
    2,266
    
    
    $
    78
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    6,981
    
    
    $
    (54
    )
    
    $
    6,927Cost of revenues
    
    
    1,074
    
    
    
    140
    
    
    
    1,214
    
    
    
    3,717
    
    
    
    303
    
    
    
    4,020Gross profit
    
    
    1,192
    
    
    
    (62
    )
    
    
    1,130
    
    
    
    3,264
    
    
    
    (357
    )
    
    
    2,907Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    486
    
    
    
    41
    
    
    
    527
    
    
    
    1,413
    
    
    
    45
    
    
    
    1,458Research and development expense
    
    
    485
    
    
    
    (30
    )
    
    
    455
    
    
    
    1,470
    
    
    
    (30
    )
    
    
    1,440Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    98
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    98Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    (14
    )
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    50
    
    
    
    (34
    )
    
    
    16Special charges
    
    
    70
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    80
    
    
    
    180
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    198(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (28
    )
    
    
    22
    
    
    
    (6
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    124
    
    
    
    (72
    )
    
    
    52
    
    
    
    81
    
    
    
    (378
    )
    
    
    (297
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    100
    
    
    
    48
    
    
    
    148
    
    
    
    127
    
    
    
    175
    
    
    
    302Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (45
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (45
    )
    
    
    (134
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (136
    )Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    (22
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations
before income taxes, minority interests and
equity in net loss of associated companies
    
    
    179
    
    
    
    (32
    )
    
    
    147
    
    
    
    64
    
    
    
    (217
    )
    
    
    (153
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4155
    
    
    
    (44
    )
    
    
    111
    
    
    
    68
    
    
    
    (217
    )
    
    
    (149
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    (52
    )Equity in net loss of associated
companies  net of tax
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    (35
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (38
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    130
    
    
    
    (42
    )
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (236
    )
    
    
    (239
    )Net earnings (loss) from discontinued
operations  net of tax
    
    
    55
    
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    43
    
    
    
    244
    
    
    
    (87
    )
    
    
    157Net earnings (loss) before cumulative effect
of accounting change
    
    
    185
    
    
    
    (54
    )
    
    
    131
    
    
    
    241
    
    
    
    (323
    )
    
    
    (82
    )Cumulative effect of accounting
change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    (12
    )Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    185
    
    
    $
    (54
    )
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    233
    
    
    $
    (327
    )
    
    $
    (94
    )Basic and diluted earnings
(loss) per common share from continuing operations
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.01
    )
    
    $
    0.02
    
    
    $
    (0.00
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    ) from discontinued operations
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.05
    
    
    
    (0.01
    )
    
    
    0.04Basic and diluted earnings
(loss) per common share
    
    $
    0.04
    
    
    $
    (0.01
    )
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    0.05
    
    
    $
    (0.07
    )
    
    $
    (0.02
    )
 11




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##### Table of Contents



Summary of Restatement Adjustments for the three months ended September 30, 2003: Revenues
    
    
    
    
    
    Inter-
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Dis-and cost of
    
    
    Foreign
    
    
    company
    
    
    Special
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Reclassifi-
    
    
    continued
    
    
    Totalrevenues
    
    
    exchange
    
    
    balances
    
    
    charges
    
    
    Other
    
    
    cations
    
    
    operations
    
    
    adjustmentsRevenues
    
    $
    78
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    78Cost of revenues
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    140Gross profit
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (32
    )
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (62
    )Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    38
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    41Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (30
    )Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (14
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (14
    )Special charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    48Interest expense  long term debt
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Interest expense  other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10Equity in net loss of associated
companies  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )Net earnings (loss) from
discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    (12
    )Cumulative effect of accounting
change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Total restatement adjustments
    
    $
    (10
    )
    
    $
    (8
    )
    
    $
    (4
    )
    
    $
    (10
    )
    
    $
    (10
    )
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    (12
    )
    
    $
    (54
    )
 Summary of Restatement Adjustments for the nine months ended September 30, 2003: Revenues
    
    
    
    
    
    Inter-
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Dis-and cost of
    
    
    Foreign
    
    
    company
    
    
    Special
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Reclassifi-
    
    
    continued
    
    
    Totalrevenues
    
    
    exchange
    
    
    balances
    
    
    charges
    
    
    Other
    
    
    cations
    
    
    operations
    
    
    adjustmentsRevenues
    
    $
    (54
    )
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    (54
    )Cost of revenues
    
    
    120
    
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    138
    
    
    
    28
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    303Gross profit
    
    
    (174
    )
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (138
    )
    
    
    (28
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (357
    )Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    29
    
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    45Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (30
    )Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (34
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (34
    )Special charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    18(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    22Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    110
    
    
    
    (23
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    44
    
    
    
    55
    
    
    
    (11
    )
    
    
    175Interest expense  long term debt
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )Interest expense  other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (16
    )Equity in net loss of associated
companies  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (3
    )Net earnings (loss) from
discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (87
    )
    
    
    (87
    )Cumulative effect of accounting
change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )Total restatement adjustments
    
    $
    (174
    )
    
    $
    97
    
    
    $
    (23
    )
    
    $
    (18
    )
    
    $
    (111
    )
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    (98
    )
    
    $
    (327
    )
 12




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##### Table of Contents



The effect of the Second Restatement adjustments on the consolidated balance sheet as of
September 30, 2003 is shown following the discussion below. Revenues and cost of revenues Revenues and cost of revenues were impacted by various errors related to revenue recognition,
corrections to foreign exchange accounting, intercompany related items and other adjustments,
including financial statement reclassifications. These items are further described below. The
net impact to revenues of the adjustments was an increase of $78 and a decrease of $54 for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. The net impact to cost of
revenues related to these revenue adjustments, and the other corrections was an increase of $140
and $303 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. The following
table summarizes the revenue recognition adjustments and other adjustments to revenues and cost
of revenues, which decreased gross profit by $62 and $357 in the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2003, respectively: Three months endedSeptember 30,
    
    
    Nine months endedSeptember 30,Cost of
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Cost ofRevenues
    
    
    revenues
    
    
    Revenues
    
    
    revenuesRevenue recognition adjustments:Application of SAB 101 or SOP 97-2 (a)Title and delivery
    
    $
    8
    
    
    $
    4
    
    
    $
    43
    
    
    $
    16Undelivered elements and
liquidated damages
    
    
    (21
    )
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    (119
    )
    
    
    26Application
of SOP 81-1 (b)
    
    
    77
    
    
    
    65
    
    
    
    95
    
    
    
    115Persuasive evidence of an arrangement
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Other revenue recognition adjustments
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (73
    )
    
    
    (37
    )Increase (decrease) associated
with revenue recognition
    
    
    78
    
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    (54
    )
    
    
    120Other adjustments:Foreign exchange
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    13Intercompany
    
    
    
    
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    138Reclassifications
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    28Increase (decrease) to
revenues and cost of revenues
    
    $
    78
    
    
    $
    140
    
    
    $
    (54
    )
    
    $
    303
  (a)
    
    Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 101, Revenue Recognition in Financial Statements
(SAB 101); Statement of Position (SOP) 97-2, Software Revenue Recognition (SOP
97-2).(b)
    
    SOP 81-1, Accounting for Performance of Construction-Type and Certain Production-Type
Contracts (SOP 81-1). Application of SAB 101 or SOP 97-2 Title and delivery Revenues were recognized on certain sales (primarily prior to 2001) for which it was
subsequently determined that the criteria for revenue recognition under SAB 101 or SOP 97-2, as
applicable, had not been met, including arrangements in which legal title or risk of loss on
products did not transfer to the buyer until full payment was received, and arrangements where
delivery had not occurred. Revenues and related cost of revenues for these agreements should
have been deferred until title or risk of loss had passed and all criteria for revenue
recognition had been met. Therefore, adjustments were made to defer revenues and related cost
of revenues from the periods in which they were originally recorded and to recognize them in the
periods in which all revenue recognition criteria were met. Undelivered elements and liquidated damages In certain multiple element arrangements, total arrangement fees were recognized as revenue at
the time of delivery of software or hardware, but prior to the delivery of future contractual or
implicit post-contract support (PCS) or other services. Revenues should have been allocated
to these future deliverables based on their fair value and recognized ratably over the PCS
period or as the future obligations were performed. As well, in certain circumstances where the 13




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##### Table of Contents



criteria to treat delivered software and hardware elements and undelivered PCS services as
separate accounting units were not met, the entire arrangement fee should have been recognized
over the PCS period. Adjustments were made to appropriately allocate revenue among the
accounting units and recognize the allocated revenue in accordance with the applicable revenue
recognition guidance. Revenues were also recognized for certain contracts that involved undelivered elements as a
result of product development delays. The lack of relative fair value for the undelivered
element meant that revenues and cost of revenues for all products delivered should have been
deferred until the undelivered element was delivered. As originally recorded, revenues were
recognized upon delivery of an alternative product and costs were accrued for the undelivered
element. To correct for these items, related cost provisions were reversed and revenues and
associated cost of revenues were recognized in the appropriate periods when all elements had
been delivered. Revenues were recognized on certain contracts with potential liquidated damages arising
primarily from network outages, shipment delays or product development delays on undelivered
elements. Generally, revenues and related cost of revenues should have been deferred up to the
maximum potential liquidated damages until the damages had been incurred or there was no longer
a possibility of incurring such damages. Specific contracts, primarily in the Asia Pacific
region, had the potential for liquidated damages plus right of return privileges if such damages
exceeded contractually defined thresholds due to a product development delay (undelivered
element). Revenues for all products delivered should have been deferred until the undelivered
element was delivered. After delivery of the undelivered element, and in light of a lack of a
reasonable and reliable history of comparable product returns on which to base a returns
allowance, revenues should have been deferred until the right of return had lapsed or until
expected returns could be reasonably estimated. After the right of return had lapsed or
reasonable estimates of expected returns could be made, revenues should have continued to be
deferred up to the amount of the maximum potential liquidated damages until either the earlier
of when the damages were incurred, or there was no longer the possibility of incurring any
damages. As originally recorded, cost provisions were recorded for the amount of the estimated
damages and/or cost of product replacement. To correct these items, related cost provisions
were reversed and revenues and associated cost of revenues were recognized in the appropriate
periods. Application of SOP 81-1 Adjustments were required to the application of percentage-of-completion accounting for certain
long-term construction contracts. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region,
revenues and costs of revenues were not recognized using an appropriate measure of progress
towards completion. An input method should have been used based on actual costs incurred and
known/projected margin estimates at the time. This error was corrected, as well as other
application errors that were identified across all regions. Persuasive evidence of an arrangement For a specific transaction in the Asia Pacific region, revenues were recognized after a notice
of award was received but before a contract was executed. Revenues should have been deferred
until a contract was executed. To correct for this item, revenues and related cost of revenues
were deferred from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2003 when contract execution
occurred. Other revenue recognition adjustments Other adjustments primarily included corrections related to an overstatement of revenues and
cost of revenues as a result of two specific transactions recorded in the first quarter of 2003
which should have been recorded in 2002. In addition, other revenue recognition adjustments
were made which related to a specific contract in the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA)
region, other errors related to non-cash incentives and concessions provided to customers and
other calculation errors. Foreign exchange As part of the plan to address a material weakness reported in Nortels Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2003, a review of foreign exchange accounting was
undertaken. The net impact was a decrease to
pre-tax earnings of $8 and a decrease to pre-tax loss of $97 for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2003, respectively. The following presents the impact of these restatement
adjustments on the consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2003, which are described below: 14




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Three months
    
    
    Nine monthsended
    
    
    endedSeptember 30,2003
    
    
    September 30,2003Gross profitOther errors
    
    $
    (4
    )
    
    $
    (13
    )Total increase (decrease) to gross profit
    
    $
    (4
    )
    
    $
    (13
    )Other incomeFunctional currency designation
    
    $
    (3
    )
    
    $
    92Intercompany transaction designation
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (59
    )Revaluation errors related to discontinued operations
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    40Other errors
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    37Total increase (decrease) to other income
    
    $
    (4
    )
    
    $
    110Net impact to pre-tax earnings or loss
    
    $
    (8
    )
    
    $
    97
 Functional currency designation The determination of the functional currency for certain entities was re-examined, based on the
guidance under SFAS No. 52, Foreign Currency Translation (SFAS 52). As a result, Nortel
identified four instances in which the functional currency designation of an entity was
incorrect. These revisions resulted in increases or decreases to other income (expense)  net. Intercompany transaction designation Nortel identified two instances of incorrect treatment of significant foreign currency
translation gains and losses arising from intercompany positions. Under SFAS 52, intercompany
foreign currency transactions that were long-term in nature should have been recorded in
accumulated other comprehensive loss on the balance sheet when translated rather than recorded
as a transactional gain or loss in the statement of operations. The net impact of the
adjustments was an increase or decrease to other income (expense)  net, with an offset to
accumulated other comprehensive loss. Revaluation errors related to discontinued operations Errors were identified in the revaluation of certain foreign denominated customer financing
provisions within discontinued operations, the correction of which increased other income and
decreased net earnings from discontinued operations. Other errors Other errors identified were related to translation of foreign denominated intercompany
transactions, revaluation of certain foreign denominated intercompany transactions and
accounting for mark-to-market adjustments for foreign exchange contracts as required under SFAS
No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities (SFAS 133). Intercompany balances Historically, Nortel had certain intercompany balances that did not eliminate upon consolidation
(out-of-balance positions), and provisions had been recorded accordingly. As part of the
Second Restatement, Nortel reviewed these provisions and determined that they should not have
been recorded. Adjustments were recorded in the appropriate periods to reverse these provisions
and to correct the significant out-of-balance positions. The adjustments to reverse the
provisions affected the second quarter of 2003 and periods prior to 2000. The net impact was a
decrease of $4 to pre-tax earnings and an increase of $23 to pre-tax loss for the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. Special charges As part of the Second Restatement, the components of special charges were re-examined and the
impact to special charges was an increase of $10 and $18 for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2003, respectively. Adjustments for restructuring were recorded to special
charges related to contract settlement costs, including real estate related items, severance and
fringe benefit related costs and plant and 15




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##### Table of Contents



equipment impairment costs. Nortel determined that
these items were either recorded in special charges in error or, although correctly recorded
when originally recognized, were not adjusted in the appropriate subsequent periods for changes
in estimates and/or assumptions. The following presents the impact of these other adjustments
on special charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003: Three months
    
    
    Nine monthsended September 30,
    
    
    ended September 30,2003
    
    
    2003Contract settlement costs
    
    $
    10
    
    
    $
    (18
    )Plant and equipment impairment costs
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32Severance and fringe benefit related costs
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4Total increase (decrease) to special charges
    
    $
    10
    
    
    $
    18
 Other Other adjustments recorded were primarily to correct certain accruals, provisions or other
transactions which were either initially recorded incorrectly in prior periods, or not properly
released or adjusted for changes in estimates and/or assumptions in the appropriate subsequent
periods. The components of these adjustments for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2003, are described below. Three months
    
    
    Nine monthsended September 30,
    
    
    ended September 30,2003
    
    
    2003Other adjustmentsCost of revenues
    
    $
    (32
    )
    
    $
    (138
    )Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    (38
    )
    
    
    (29
    )Research and development expense
    
    
    26
    
    
    
    16Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    34(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    (4
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    44Interest expense
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    (11
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    (16
    )Equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (3
    )Cumulative effect of accounting changes  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )Net impact to earnings or loss
    
    $
    (10
    )
    
    $
    (111
    )
 Cost of revenues For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the increase to cost of revenues of $32 was
comprised primarily of an increase of approximately $15 for inventory and product related
accruals, approximately $12 for customer and contract related accruals and approximately $8 for
warranty costs, partially offset by $3 related to other accruals. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the increase to cost of revenues of $138 was
comprised primarily of an increase of approximately $51 for customer and contract related
accruals, approximately $43 for warranty costs, approximately $30 for inventory and product
related accruals, and approximately $14 related to other accruals. Selling, general and administrative expense For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the increase of $38 to selling, general and
administrative expense was comprised primarily of an increase of approximately $6 related to
contract amendments and settlements with certain service providers and an increase of
approximately $44 to other accruals, partially offset by a decrease of approximately $3 related
to bad debt expense and approximately $9 to reflect net adjustments to the timing of employee
bonus related accruals. 16




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##### Table of Contents



For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the increase of $29 to selling, general and
administrative expense was comprised primarily of an increase of approximately $48 related to
contract amendments and settlements with certain service providers and an increase of
approximately $83 to other accruals, partially offset by decreases of approximately $51 related
to bad debt expense and approximately $51 to reflect net adjustments to the timing of employee
bonus related accruals. Research and development expense For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the decrease of $26 in research and development
expense was primarily the result of a decrease of approximately $15 to correctly treat certain
software repair costs as warranty costs and a net decrease of approximately $11 related to
accruals regarding various research and development projects and other accruals. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the decrease of $16 in research and development
expense was primarily the result of approximately $45 to correctly treat certain software repair
costs as warranty costs, partially offset by an increase of approximately $29 related to
accruals regarding various research and development projects and other accruals. Deferred stock option compensation For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the decrease of $14 and $34,
respectively, in deferred stock option compensation was the result of a correction to the
calculation of the valuation of deferred compensation on an acquisition in a prior year. Other income (expense)  net For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the increase of $32 in other income was primarily
the result of adjustments of approximately $13 related to sales and use and other tax
provisions, and approximately $19 related to other accruals. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the increase of $44 in other income was primarily
the result of an increase of approximately $17 from corrections to the timing of the recognition
of the impairment of certain investments, approximately $16 for unused customer credits
originally recognized as a reduction to customer revenues in this period and approximately $35
related to other accruals, partially offset by an adjustment of approximately $15 related to
sales of receivables and customer financing and a decrease of approximately $9 related to sales
and use and other tax accruals. Interest expense For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the increase to interest expense of $4 was
primarily related to long-term debt for corrections to accounting for certain sale-leaseback
transactions. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the increase to interest expense of $11 was
primarily the result of a $13 increase related to long-term debt for corrections to accounting
for certain sale-leaseback transactions, partially offset by a $2 decrease from adjustments to
the timing of the recognition of costs associated with sales of receivables and customer
financing. Income taxes, minority interests and equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax Income tax benefit (expense) and minority interests were also adjusted as part of the Second
Restatement. The adjustment to income taxes was an increase of $12 to income tax expense and
nil to income tax benefit (expense) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003,
respectively, primarily related to the tax impact of the restatements, investment tax credits
and taxes attributable to preferred share dividends. The adjustment to minority interests  net
of
tax as a result of the Second Restatement adjustments was a decrease of $10 and an increase of
$16 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. As part of the Second Restatement, equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax was
adjusted to reflect the final reported losses of the associated companies for the period rather
than the estimates that were used when originally recorded. The adjustment resulted in a
decrease to net earnings of $8 and an increase to net loss of $3 for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2003, respectively. 17




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##### Table of Contents



Reclassifications As a result of the restatement process, various presentation inconsistencies were identified.
Adjustments were made to appropriately reflect certain items in the consolidated statements of
operations. The reclassifications were made for royalty expense, (gain) loss on sale of
businesses and assets and other items including certain functional spending and specific
expenses. The amounts that were reclassified for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2003 are detailed below: Royalty
    
    
    Disposalexpense
    
    
    of assets
    
    
    Other
    
    
    TotalThree months ended September 30, 2003Cost of revenues
    
    $
    13
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    (3
    )
    
    $
    10Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    3(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    5Other expense
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (18
    )Net impact of reclassifications
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    Nine months ended September 30, 2003Cost of revenues
    
    $
    37
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    (9
    )
    
    $
    28Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    14Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (5
    )(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    18Other expense
    
    
    (37
    )
    
    
    (18
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (55
    )Net impact of reclassifications
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
 Discontinued operations As a result of the restatement process, the initial provision for loss on disposal of the access
solutions discontinued operations recorded in June 2001, and the subsequent activity during 2001
through 2004 were re-examined. Nortel concluded that the net loss on disposal of operations
recognized in the second quarter of 2001 was overstated. In addition, other adjustments were
necessary to correct certain items that were either initially recorded incorrectly, or not
properly released or adjusted for changes in estimates in the appropriate periods subsequent to
the second quarter of 2001. The net impact of the adjustments was a decrease of $12 and $87
(net of tax of $1), respectively, to the previously reported net earnings from discontinued
operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003. For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the $12 decrease to net earnings from
discontinued operations consisted primarily of decreases resulting from additional provisions
related to discontinued operations. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the $87 decrease to net earnings from discontinued
operations consisted primarily of a decrease of approximately $90 resulting from the elimination
of a gain on redemption of an investment interest due to the reversal in an earlier period of a
full valuation allowance that had been recorded against the investment interest when acquired, a
decrease of approximately $39 related to the revaluation of certain foreign denominated customer
financing provisions and a net decrease of approximately $24 resulting from additional
provisions related to discontinued operations, partially offset by a $51 net increase from
adjustments to contingent liabilities and an increase of approximately $11 related to a gain on
settlement of a sales representation agreement which had previously been recorded in continuing
operations. Balance sheet The following table presents the impact of the Second Restatement adjustments on Nortels
previously reported consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2003. The impact on
inventories  net and various liabilities, including deferred revenue, was primarily due to the
adjustments to revenues and cost of revenues described above. The adjustments to plant and
equipment  net and long-term debt primarily related to corrections to the accounting for
certain sale-leaseback transactions. In addition, there were reclassifications resulting from
the restatement adjustments and to conform to the 2003 presentation in the consolidated balance
sheet. 18




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##### Table of Contents



Consolidated Balance Sheet as of
September 30, 2003
 As previouslyreported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restatedASSETSCurrent assetsCash and cash equivalents
    
    $
    3,566
    
    
    $
    1
    
    
    $
    3,567Restricted cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    113
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    113Accounts receivable  net
    
    
    2,065
    
    
    
    (37
    )
    
    
    2,028Inventories  net
    
    
    928
    
    
    
    501
    
    
    
    1,429Income taxes recoverable
    
    
    63
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    68Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    415
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    415Other current assets
    
    
    419
    
    
    
    (15
    )
    
    
    404Total current assets
    
    
    7,569
    
    
    
    455
    
    
    
    8,024Investments
    
    
    183
    
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    271Plant and equipment  net
    
    
    1,470
    
    
    
    196
    
    
    
    1,666Goodwill
    
    
    2,233
    
    
    
    48
    
    
    
    2,281Intangible assets  net
    
    
    92
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    92Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    3,224
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    3,219Other assets
    
    
    511
    
    
    
    (102
    )
    
    
    409Total assets
    
    $
    15,282
    
    
    $
    680
    
    
    $
    15,962LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCurrent liabilitiesNotes payable
    
    $
    23
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    23Trade and other accounts payable
    
    
    768
    
    
    
    (59
    )
    
    
    709Payroll and benefit-related liabilities
    
    
    708
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    740Contractual liabilities
    
    
    768
    
    
    
    (165
    )
    
    
    603Restructuring
    
    
    273
    
    
    
    (64
    )
    
    
    209Other accrued liabilities
    
    
    2,311
    
    
    
    401
    
    
    
    2,712Long-term debt due within one year
    
    
    112
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    119Total current liabilities
    
    
    4,963
    
    
    
    152
    
    
    
    5,115Long-term debt
    
    
    3,758
    
    
    
    130
    
    
    
    3,888Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    280
    
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    256Other liabilities
    
    
    2,289
    
    
    
    361
    
    
    
    2,650Total liabilities
    
    
    11,290
    
    
    
    619
    
    
    
    11,909Minority interests in subsidiary companies
    
    
    613
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    621SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCommon shares, without par value
    
    
    33,802
    
    
    
    (350
    )
    
    
    33,452Additional paid-in capital
    
    
    3,554
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    3,555Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    (38
    )
    
    
    38
    
    
    
    Accumulated deficit
    
    
    (33,006
    )
    
    
    (54
    )
    
    
    (33,060
    )Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    
    
    (933
    )
    
    
    418
    
    
    
    (515
    )Total shareholders equity
    
    
    3,379
    
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    3,432Total liabilities and shareholders equity
    
    $
    15,282
    
    
    $
    680
    
    
    $
    15,962
  3.
    
    Accounting changes  (a)
    
    Stock-based compensationEffective January 1, 2003, Nortel elected to expense employee stock-based compensation
using the fair value based method prospectively for all awards granted or modified on or
after January 1, 2003 in accordance with SFAS 148. Prior to January 1, 2003, Nortel, as
permitted by SFAS 123, applied the intrinsic value method under Accounting Principles Board
Opinion No. 25, Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and related interpretations, in
accounting for its employee stock-based compensation plans. The fair value at grant date of
stock options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Compensation 19




---



##### Table of Contents



expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the vesting period of the award.
Compensation expense is adjusted for the forfeiture of non-vested awards in the period when
the forfeiture occurs.Had Nortel applied the fair value based method to all stock-based awards in all periods,
reported net earnings (loss) and earnings (loss) per common share would have been adjusted
to the pro forma amounts indicated below for each of the three and nine months ended
September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Net earnings (loss)  reported
    
    $
    (259
    )
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    (184
    )
    
    $
    (94
    )Stock-based
compensation  reported(a)
    
    
    17
    
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    95
    
    
    
    47Deferred stock option
compensation  reported(b)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    16Stock-based
compensation  pro forma (c)
    
    
    (34
    )
    
    
    (115
    )
    
    
    (190
    )
    
    
    (405
    )Net earnings (loss)  pro forma
    
    $
    (276
    )
    
    $
    47
    
    
    $
    (279
    )
    
    $
    (436
    )Basic
earnings (loss) per common share:Reported
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
    
    $
    (0.02
    )Pro forma
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.01
    
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    (0.10
    )Diluted earnings (loss) per common share:Reported
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
    
    $
    (0.02
    )Pro forma
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    0.01
    
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    (0.10
    )
 (a)
    
    Stock-based compensation  reported, included: i.
    
    Stock option expense for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2004 of $20 and $55, respectively, which was net of tax of nil in each period. For
the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the amounts were $7 and $19,
respectively, which was net of tax of nil in each period;ii.
    
    Employer portion of stock purchase plan contributions expense for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 of nil (see note 15). For the three
and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the amounts were $2 and $5, respectively,
which was net of tax of nil in each period;iii.
    
    Restricted stock units expense for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2004 of nil and $41, respectively, which was net of tax of nil in each
period. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the amounts were
$19 and $19, respectively, which were net of tax of nil in each period; andiv.
    
    Deferred stock units expense for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2004 of $(3) and $(1), respectively, which was net of tax of nil in
each period. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the amounts
were $2 and $4, respectively, which was net of tax of nil in each period. (b)
    
    Deferred stock option compensation  reported represented the amortization of
deferred stock option compensation related primarily to unvested stock options held by
employees of companies acquired in a purchase acquisition. For the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2004, the amounts were net of tax of nil in each period. For
the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, the amounts were $1 and $16,
respectively, which was net of tax of nil in each period.(c)
    
    Stock-based compensation  pro forma was net of tax of nil in each period. 20




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##### Table of Contents



The following weighted-average assumptions were used in computing the fair value of
stock options for each of the three months and nine months ended September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004(a)
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Black-Scholes weighted-average assumptionsExpected dividend yield
    
    
    
    
    
    
    0.00
    %
    
    
    0.00
    %
    
    
    0.00
    %Expected volatility
    
    
    
    
    
    
    93.29
    %
    
    
    94.49
    %
    
    
    92.49
    %Risk-free interest rate
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3.17
    %
    
    
    2.96
    %
    
    
    2.81
    %Expected option life in years
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    4Weighted-average stock option fair value
per option granted
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    1.94
    
    
    $
    5.21
    
    
    $
    1.57
 (a)
    
    For the three months ended September 30, 2004, no stock options were granted.  (b)
    
    Asset retirement obligationsIn June 2001, the FASB issued SFAS No. 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement
Obligations (SFAS 143), which applies to certain legal obligations associated with the
retirement of tangible long-lived assets. SFAS 143 requires that a liability be initially
recognized for the estimated fair value of the obligation when it is incurred. The
associated asset retirement cost is capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the
long-lived asset and depreciated over the remaining life of the underlying asset and the
associated liability is accreted to the estimated fair value of the obligation at the
settlement date through periodic accretion charges to net earnings (loss). When the
obligation is settled, any difference between the final cost and the recorded amount is
recognized as income or loss on settlement. Effective January 1, 2003, Nortel adopted the
initial recognition and measurement provisions of SFAS 143 and identified certain asset
retirement obligations to remediate leased premises and buildings and equipment situated on
leased land. The adoption of SFAS 143 resulted in an increase to net loss of $12 (net of
tax of nil) which has been reported as a cumulative effect of accounting change  net of
tax, an increase in plant and equipment  net of $4 and an asset retirement obligation
liability of $16 as of January 1, 2003. The adoption of SFAS 143 did not have a material
impact on depreciation and accretion expense or basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share.(c)
    
    Accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities
and equityIn May 2003, the FASB issued SFAS No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial
Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity (SFAS 150). SFAS 150
clarifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of both
liabilities and equity, including mandatorily redeemable non-controlling interests, and
requires that those instruments be classified as liabilities on the balance sheets.
Previously, many of those financial instruments were classified as equity. SFAS 150 is
effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003 and
otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15,
2003. In November 2003, the FASB issued FSP Financial Accounting Standard (FSP FAS) 150-3,
Effective Date, Disclosures, and Transition for Mandatorily Redeemable Financial
Instruments of Certain Nonpublic Entities and Certain Mandatorily Redeemable Non-controlling
Interests under FASB Statement No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with
Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity (FSP FAS 150-3), which deferred
indefinitely the effective date for applying the specific provisions within SFAS 150 related
to the classification and measurement of mandatorily redeemable non-controlling interests.
The adoption of SFAS 150, as amended by FSP FAS 150-3, did not have a material impact on
Nortels results of operations and financial position.As of December 31, 2003 and September 30, 2004, Nortel continued to consolidate two
enterprises with limited lives. Upon liquidation in 2024, the net assets of these entities
will be distributed to the owners based on their relative interests at that time. The
minority interest included in the consolidated balance sheet related to these entities as of
September 30, 2004 was $44. Nortel has not yet determined the fair value of this minority
interest as of September 30, 2004.  4.
    
    Consolidated financial statement detailsThe following consolidated financial statement details are presented for each of the three
and nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 for the consolidated statements of operations,
as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 for the consolidated balance 21




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##### Table of Contents



sheets and for each
of the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 for the consolidated statements of cash
flows.Consolidated statements of operationsIn August 2004, Nortel entered into a contract with Bharat Sanchar Nigram Limited to
establish a wireless network in India. Nortels commitments to date for orders received under
this contract have resulted in an estimated project loss of
approximately $159, which has been
recorded as cost of revenues and accrued within contractual liabilities in the third quarter of
2004.During the third quarter of 2004, Nortel reduced revenue by approximately $80 to correct
for previously recognized revenue relating to past sales of Optical
Networks equipment which we subsequently determined should have been
deferred and recognized with the delivery of future contractual PCS
and other services over the term of the PCS. The associated costs of revenues were also
deferred resulting in no significant impact on Nortels gross
margin as a percentage of revenues in the third quarter of 2004.During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, Nortel reversed provisions of $68 and
$87, respectively, relating to a customer bankruptcy settlement, which had the effect of
reducing cost of revenues by $53 and $53, respectively, and selling, general and administrative
(SG&A) expense by nil and $4, respectively, and increasing other income (expense)  net by $15
and $30, respectively.Other income (expense)  net: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Interest income
    
    $
    16
    
    
    $
    15
    
    
    $
    47
    
    
    $
    53Gain (loss) on sale or write
down of investments
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    33
    
    
    
    2Currency exchange gains (losses)
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    113Other  net
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    115
    
    
    
    (21
    )
    
    
    134Other income (expense)  net
    
    $
    44
    
    
    $
    148
    
    
    $
    112
    
    
    $
    302
  Other income (expense)  net includes a gain of $31
resulting from a correction in the third quarter of 2004 relating to
a cumulative error in functional currency designation of an entity in
Brazil.Consolidated balance sheetsAccounts receivable  net: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Trade receivables
    
    $
    1,721
    
    
    $
    2,117Contracts in process
    
    
    538
    
    
    
    5822,259
    
    
    
    2,699Less: provision for doubtful accounts
    
    
    (125
    )
    
    
    (194
    )Accounts receivable  net
    
    $
    2,134
    
    
    $
    2,505
  Inventories  net: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Raw materials
    
    $
    109
    
    
    $
    249Work in process
    
    
    359
    
    
    
    221Finished goods
    
    
    1,035
    
    
    
    720Inventories  net (a)
    
    $
    1,503
    
    
    $
    1,190
 (a)
    
    Net of inventory provisions of $1,045 and $1,226 as of September 30, 2004 and December
31, 2003, respectively. Other reserves for claims related to contract manufacturers and
suppliers of $61 and $120 as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively,
were included in other accrued liabilities. These accruals were related to cancellation
charges, contracted-for inventory in excess of future demand and the settlement of certain
other claims. 22




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##### Table of Contents



Other current assets: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Prepaid expenses
    
    $
    206
    
    
    $
    176Current assets of discontinued operations (a)
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    28Other
    
    
    87
    
    
    
    111Other current assets
    
    $
    312
    
    
    $
    315
 (a)
    
    See note 18 for additional information.  Plant and equipment  net: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Cost:Land
    
    $
    62
    
    
    $
    62Buildings
    
    
    1,428
    
    
    
    1,483Machinery and equipment
    
    
    2,525
    
    
    
    2,7494,015
    
    
    
    4,294Less accumulated depreciation:Buildings
    
    
    (442
    )
    
    
    (457
    )Machinery and equipment
    
    
    (1,982
    )
    
    
    (2,181
    )(2,424
    )
    
    
    (2,638
    )Plant and equipment  net (a) (b) (c)
    
    $
    1,591
    
    
    $
    1,656
 (a)
    
    Included assets held for sale with a carrying value of $26 and $30 as of September 30,
2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively, related to owned facilities that were being
actively marketed. These assets were written down in previous periods to their estimated
fair values less costs to sell. The write downs were included in special charges. Nortel
expects to dispose of all of these facilities by mid-2005.(b)
    
    Included variable interest entity assets consolidated prospectively, as required by
FASB Interpretation No. 46 (Revised 2003), Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities -
An Interpretation of Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51 (FIN 46R), of $91 and $183 as
of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.(c)
    
    Included the impact of leases recorded prospectively, as required by EITF 01-8,
Determining Whether an Arrangement Contains a Lease, of $3 and $2 as of September 30,
2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.  Goodwill:The following table outlines goodwill by reportable segment: Wireless
    
    
    Enterprise
    
    
    Wireline
    
    
    OpticalNetworks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    TotalBalance  net as of December 31, 2003
    
    $
    35
    
    
    $
    1,692
    
    
    $
    569
    
    
    $
    9
    
    
    $
    2,305Change:Foreign exchange
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )Balance  net as of September 30, 2004
    
    $
    35
    
    
    $
    1,691
    
    
    $
    569
    
    
    $
    9
    
    
    $
    2,304
  Intangible assets  net: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Other intangible assets (a)
    
    $
    38
    
    
    $
    45Pension intangible assets (b)
    
    
    41
    
    
    
    41Intangible assets  net
    
    $
    79
    
    
    $
    86
 (a)
    
    Other intangible assets are being amortized over a ten year period ending in 2013,
based on their expected pattern of benefit to future periods using estimates of
undiscounted cash flows. The amortization expense is denominated in a foreign currency and
may fluctuate due to changes in foreign exchange rates. 23




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##### Table of Contents



(b)
    
    Pension intangible assets were recorded as required by SFAS No. 87, Employers
Accounting for Pensions. Amounts are not amortized but are adjusted as part of the annual
minimum pension liability assessment.  Other accrued liabilities: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Outsourcing and selling, general and administrative related
    
    $
    334
    
    
    $
    302Customer deposits
    
    
    34
    
    
    
    73Product related
    
    
    61
    
    
    
    120Warranty
    
    
    305
    
    
    
    387Deferred income
    
    
    895
    
    
    
    761Miscellaneous taxes
    
    
    46
    
    
    
    76Income taxes payable
    
    
    82
    
    
    
    111Current liabilities of discontinued operations
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    6Interest payable
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    62Advance billings in excess of revenues recognized
on long-term contracts
    
    
    500
    
    
    
    509Other
    
    
    112
    
    
    
    98Other accrued liabilities
    
    $
    2,400
    
    
    $
    2,505
  Other liabilities: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Pension, post-employment and post-retirement benefits liabilities
    
    $
    2,013
    
    
    $
    1,973Long-term provisions
    
    
    925
    
    
    
    972Other liabilities
    
    $
    2,938
    
    
    $
    2,945
  Related party transactions:In the ordinary course of business, Nortel purchases equipment from Bookham Inc. (Bookham), a
related party due to Nortels approximate 12% equity interest in Bookham. During the nine months
ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, Nortels aggregate purchases from Bookham were $40 and $61,
respectively. As of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, accounts payable to Bookham were
$11 and $7, respectively. Nortel also has certain notes receivable due from Bookham with a
carrying amount of $21 and $19 as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.See note 9 for additional related party transactions.Consolidated statements of cash flowsChange in operating assets and liabilities: September 30,
    
    
    September 30,2004
    
    
    2003Restricted cash and cash equivalents
    
    $
    (14
    )
    
    $
    147Accounts receivable
    
    
    355
    
    
    
    223Inventories
    
    
    (313
    )
    
    
    158Income taxes
    
    
    (64
    )
    
    
    23Restructuring
    
    
    (178
    )
    
    
    (451
    )Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
    
    
    (427
    )
    
    
    (492
    )Other operating assets and liabilities
    
    
    316
    
    
    
    310Change in operating assets and liabilities
    
    $
    (325
    )
    
    $
    (82
    )
 24




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##### Table of Contents



Interest and taxes paid: September 30,
    
    
    September 30,2004
    
    
    2003Cash interest paid
    
    $
    182
    
    
    $
    137Cash taxes paid  net
    
    $
    39
    
    
    $
    8
  5.
    
    Segment informationGeneral descriptionDuring 2003 and up to September 30, 2004, Nortels operations were organized around four
reportable segments consisting of Wireless Networks, Enterprise Networks, Wireline Networks and
Optical Networks. Wireless Networks included network access and core networking products for
voice and data communications that span second and third generation wireless technologies and
most major global standards for mobile networks and related professional services. Enterprise
Networks included circuit and packet voice solutions, data networking and security solutions and
the related professional services used by enterprise customers. Wireline Networks included
circuit and packet voice solutions, data networking and security solutions and the related
professional services used by service provider customers. Optical Networks included
metropolitan, regional and long-haul optical transport and switching solutions and managed
broadband services and related professional services for both service provider and enterprise
customers.Other represented miscellaneous business activities and corporate functions. None of these
activities meet the quantitative criteria to be disclosed as reportable segments. As described
in note 18, Nortels access solutions operations were discontinued during the year ended
December 31, 2001. These operations were previously included as a separate business activity
within other. The data below excludes amounts related to the access solutions operations.Effective October 1, 2004, Nortel established a new streamlined organizational structure that
included, among other things, combining the businesses of Nortels four segments into two
business organizations: (i) Carrier Networks and Global Operations, and (ii) Enterprise
Networks. Nortel has reviewed the impact of these changes on its reportable segments and
concluded that, although certain structural changes were made to reflect this reorganization on
October 1, 2004, Nortel did not meet the criteria to change its reportable segments under SFAS
No. 131, Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information, for the fiscal
year 2004. Nortels operating results on a segmented basis for the new business organizations
were not available for review by the chief operating decision maker (CODM), as a significant
amount of Nortels finance resources were allocated to the restatement activity. Nortel is
currently reviewing the impact of these changes on its 2005 reportable segments.Nortels chief executive officer (the CEO) has been identified as the CODM in assessing the
performance of the segments and the allocation of resources to the segments. In 2004, each
reportable segment was managed separately with each segment manager reporting directly or
indirectly to the CEO. The CEO relies on the information derived directly from Nortels
management reporting system. Commencing in the second quarter of 2004, in conjunction with the
appointment of William A. Owens, as Nortels president and chief executive officer, the primary
financial measure used by the CEO in assessing performance and allocating resources to the
segments is management earnings (loss) before income taxes (Management EBT), a measure that
includes the cost of revenues and SG&A expense, research and development (R&D) expense,
interest expense, other income (expense)  net, minority interests  net of tax and equity in
net loss of associated companies  net of tax. This primary financial measure replaced
contribution margin, the previously disclosed primary financial measure used for earlier
periods. Contribution margin differs from Management EBT in that it excludes R&D expense,
interest expense, other income (expense)  net, minority interests  net of tax and equity in
net loss of associated companies  net of tax.Costs associated with shared services and other corporate costs are allocated to the segments
based on usage determined generally by headcount. Costs not allocated to the segments are
primarily related to Nortels corporate compliance and other non-operational activities and are
included in other. In addition, the CEO does not review asset information on a segmented basis
in order to assess performance and allocate resources. The accounting policies of the
reportable segments are the same as those applied to the consolidated financial statements. 25




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##### Table of Contents



SegmentsThe following tables set forth information by segment for each of the three and nine months
ended September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003RevenuesWireless Networks
    
    $
    1,054
    
    
    $
    1,111
    
    
    $
    3,560
    
    
    $
    2,953Enterprise Networks
    
    
    591
    
    
    
    545
    
    
    
    1,703
    
    
    
    1,650Wireline Networks
    
    
    379
    
    
    
    423
    
    
    
    1,262
    
    
    
    1,433Optical Networks
    
    
    155
    
    
    
    260
    
    
    
    680
    
    
    
    865Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    26Total
    
    $
    2,179
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    7,213
    
    
    $
    6,927Management EBTWireless Networks
    
    $
    (36
    )
    
    $
    215
    
    
    $
    353
    
    
    $
    377Enterprise Networks
    
    
    39
    
    
    
    21
    
    
    
    78
    
    
    
    37Wireline Networks
    
    
    (56
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (72
    )
    
    
    91Optical Networks
    
    
    (73
    )
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    (159
    )
    
    
    (156
    )Other
    
    
    (112
    )
    
    
    (18
    )
    
    
    (436
    )
    
    
    (286
    )Total
    
    
    (238
    )
    
    
    220
    
    
    
    (236
    )
    
    
    63Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (32
    )
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    
    (98
    )Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (16
    )Special charges
    
    
    (93
    )
    
    
    (80
    )
    
    
    (99
    )
    
    
    (198
    )Gain (loss) on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    39
    
    
    
    17
    
    
    
    114
    
    
    
    6Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    4Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    $
    (264
    )
    
    $
    88
    
    
    $
    (196
    )
    
    $
    (239
    )
  6.
    
    Special chargesDuring 2001, Nortel implemented a work plan to streamline operations and activities around
core markets and leadership strategies in light of the significant downturn in both the
telecommunications industry and the economic environment, and capital market trends impacting
operations and expected future growth rates (the 2001 Restructuring Plan).In addition, activities were initiated in 2003 to exit certain leased facilities and leases for
assets no longer used across all segments. The liabilities associated with these activities
were measured at fair value and recognized under SFAS No. 146, Accounting for Costs Associated
with Exit or Disposal Activities (SFAS 146).In 2004 and into 2005, Nortels focus is on managing each of its businesses based on financial
performance, the market and customer priorities. In the third quarter of 2004, Nortel announced
a strategic plan that includes a work plan involving focused workforce reductions, including a
voluntary retirement program, of approximately 3,250 employees, real estate optimization and
other cost containment actions such as reductions in information services costs, outsourced
services and other discretionary spending across all segments, but primarily in Wireline
Networks and Optical Networks (the 2004 Restructuring Plan).During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, Nortel continued to implement these
restructuring work plans. Special charges recorded from January 1, 2004 to September 30, 2004
were as follows: 26




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##### Table of Contents



Contractsettlement
    
    
    Plant andWorkforce
    
    
    and lease
    
    
    equipmentreduction
    
    
    costs
    
    
    write downs
    
    
    Total2001 Restructuring PlanProvision balance as of December 31, 2003
    
    $
    64
    
    
    $
    456
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    520Other special charges:For the three months ended March 31, 2004
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    6For the three months ended June 30, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    For the three months ended September 30, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Revisions to prior accruals:For the three months ended March 31, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1For the three months ended June 30, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )For the three months ended September 30, 2004
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    21Cumulative provision (drawdowns) adjustments in 2004:Cash drawdowns
    
    
    (45
    )
    
    
    (133
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (178
    )Non-cash drawdowns
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    (1
    )Foreign exchange and other adjustments
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10Provision balance as of September 30, 2004
    
    $
    17
    
    
    $
    361
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    3782004 Restructuring PlanProvision balance as of December 31, 2003
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    Other special charges:For the three months ended September 30, 2004
    
    
    72
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    72Provision balance as of September 30, 2004
    
    $
    72
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    72Provision balance as of September 30, 2004 (a)
    
    $
    89
    
    
    $
    361
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    450
 (a)
    
    As of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, the short-term provision balance was
$190 and $206, respectively, and the long-term provision balance was $260 and $314.  Three and nine months ended September 30, 2004During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, Nortel recorded special charges of
$21 and $27, respectively, related to the 2001 Restructuring Plan which included revisions of
$21 and $21, respectively, related to prior accruals.Workforce reduction charges of $6 were related to severance and benefit costs associated with
approximately 80 employees notified of termination during the three months ended March 31, 2004,
which related entirely to Optical Networks, and were partially offset by revision to prior
accruals in the third quarter of 2004 of $4. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004,
the workforce reduction provision balance was drawn down by cash payments of $45. The remaining
provision is expected to be substantially drawn down by the end of 2005.No new contract settlement and lease costs were incurred during the period. Net revisions to
prior accruals for contract settlement and lease costs of $24 were identified for the nine
months ended September 30, 2004. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, the provision
balance for contract settlement and lease costs was drawn down by cash payments of $133. The
remaining provision, net of approximately $270 in estimated sublease income, is expected to be
substantially drawn down by the end of 2013.The table below summarizes the total costs estimated to be incurred as a result of the exit
activities initiated in 2003, which have met the criteria described in SFAS 146, the balance of
these accrued expenses as of September 30, 2004 and the movement in the accrual for the nine
months ended September 30, 2004. These costs are included in the provision balance above for
the 2001 Restructuring Plan as of September 30, 2004. 27




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##### Table of Contents



Costs
    
    
    Payments
    
    
    AdjustmentsAccrued
    
    
    incurred
    
    
    made
    
    
    madebalance as
    
    
    during the
    
    
    during the
    
    
    during the
    
    
    Accruedof December 31,
    
    
    nine months ended
    
    
    nine months ended
    
    
    nine months ended
    
    
    balance as at2003
    
    
    September 30, 2004
    
    
    September 30, 2004
    
    
    September 30, 2004
    
    
    September 30, 2004Lease costs (a)
    
    $
    36
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    (10
    )
    
    $
    7
    
    
    $
    33
 (a)
    
    Total estimated costs, net of estimated sublease income, associated with these accruals
are $69, of which $14 was drawn down by cash payments of $8 and non-cash adjustments of $6
prior to January 1, 2004.  Regular full-time (RFT) employee notifications included in special charges under the 2001
Restructuring Plan were as follows: Employees (approximate)Direct(a)
    
    
    Indirect(b)
    
    
    TotalRFT employee notifications for the three months endedMarch 31, 2004
    
    
    40
    
    
    
    40
    
    
    
    80
 (a)
    
    Direct employees included employees performing manufacturing, assembly, test and
inspection activities associated with the production of Nortels products.(b)
    
    Indirect employees included employees performing manufacturing, management, sales,
marketing, research and development and administrative activities.  During the three months ended September 30, 2004, Nortel recorded special charges of $72
related to the 2004 Restructuring Plan.Workforce reduction charges of $72 were related to severance and benefit costs associated with
approximately 1,300 employees identified for termination under ongoing benefit arrangements. The
workforce reduction was primarily in the U.S., Canada, and EMEA and extended across all segments
but primarily in Wireline Networks and Optical Networks. During the three months ended September
30, 2004, the workforce reduction provision balance had not been
drawn down by any cash payments.
The remaining provision is expected to be substantially drawn down by the end of 2005.Nortel estimates charges to earnings associated with the 2004 Restructuring Plan in the
aggregate of approximately $450 comprised of approximately $220 with respect to the workforce
reductions and approximately $230 with respect to the real estate actions. No charges are
expected to be recorded with respect to the other cost containment actions. Approximately
one-third of the aggregate charges were incurred in 2004 with the remainder expected to be
incurred in 2005.Three and nine months ended September 30, 2003For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, Nortel recorded total
special charges of $80 and $198, respectively, related to the 2001 Restructuring Plan which was net of
revisions of $14 and $103 related to prior accruals.Workforce reduction charges of $170 in the nine months ended September 30, 2003 were related to
severance and benefit costs, including a pension settlement loss of $47, associated with
approximately 1,300 employees notified of termination during the nine months ended September 30,
2003, which extended across all segments. Offsetting these charges were net revisions of $35,
which were primarily related to termination benefits where actual costs were lower than the
estimated amounts across all segments.Contract settlement and lease costs of $63 in the nine months ended September 30, 2003 consisted
of net lease charges related to leased facilities (comprised of office, warehouse and
manufacturing space) and leased furniture that were newly identified as no longer being used.
Offsetting these charges were revisions of $40 resulting from changes in estimates for sublease
income and costs to vacate certain properties which extended across all segments.Plant and equipment charges of $68 in the nine months ended September 30, 2003 were related to
current period write downs to fair value less costs to sell for various leasehold improvements
and excess Optical Networks equipment. 28




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##### Table of Contents



Offsetting these charges were revisions of $28 to prior write downs of assets held for sale
related primarily to adjustments to original plans or estimated amounts for certain facility
closures.7.
    
    Income taxesDuring the nine months ended September 30, 2004, Nortel recorded a tax benefit of $32 on a
loss from continuing operations before income taxes, minority interests and equity in net loss
of associated companies of $197. Nortel recorded a tax expense against the earnings of certain
taxable entities and recorded additional valuation allowances against the tax benefit of current
period losses of other entities. The tax benefit of $32 is primarily a result of R&D related
incentives and the benefit of favourable audit settlements, partially offset by tax expense
recorded against the earnings of certain taxable entities and corporate minimum and other taxes.During the nine months ended September 30, 2003, Nortel recorded a tax benefit of $4 on a loss
from continuing operations before income taxes, minority interests and equity in net loss of
associated companies of $153. Nortel recorded a tax expense against the earnings of certain
taxable entities and recorded additional valuation allowances against the tax benefit of current
period losses of other entities. The tax benefit of $4 is primarily a result of R&D related
incentives and the drawdown of the deferred tax liability to acquired technology, partially
offset by tax expense recorded against earnings of certain taxable entities, corporate minimum
and other taxes.As of September 30, 2004, Nortels deferred income tax assets, excluding discontinued
operations, were $3,669. The deferred income tax assets are net of a valuation allowance of
$3,455. The most significant components of the gross deferred income tax assets are the tax
benefit of loss carryforwards and investment tax credits and temporary differences related to
certain liabilities (primarily provisions, pensions and other post retirement obligations).
Although a certain portion of carryforward amounts have begun to expire in 2004, the majority do
not begin to expire until 2017.The valuation allowance of $3,455 was recorded in accordance with SFAS No. 109, Accounting for
Income Taxes, which requires that a valuation allowance be established when it is more likely
than not that some portion or all of a companys deferred tax assets will not be realized. The
valuation allowances were determined based on an assessment of the positive and negative
evidence, which included the carryforward periods attributable to the significant tax assets,
Nortels history of generating taxable income in its material jurisdictions, and Nortels
cumulative loss position. Primarily as a result of the losses realized in 2001 and 2002, Nortel
determined that it is not more likely than not that a portion of its deferred income tax assets
will be realized. Accordingly, a valuation allowance has been recorded against a portion of the
assets. However, due to the fact that the majority of the carryforward amounts do not expire in
the near future, Nortels extended history of profitability in its material tax jurisdictions,
exclusive of the 2001 and 2002 losses, and Nortels future projections of profitability, Nortel
determined that it is more likely than not that the remaining portion of its deferred income tax
assets recorded at September 30, 2004 will be realized.Nortel is subject to ongoing examinations by certain tax authorities of the jurisdictions in
which it operates. Nortel regularly assesses the status of these examinations and the potential
for adverse outcomes to determine the adequacy of the provision for income and other taxes.
Nortel believes that it has adequately provided for tax adjustments that are probable as a
result of any ongoing or future examinations.8.
    
    Employee benefit plansNortel maintains various retirement programs covering substantially all of its employees,
consisting of defined benefit, defined contribution and investment plans.Nortel has four kinds of capital accumulation and retirement programs: balanced capital
accumulation and retirement programs (the Balanced Program) and investor capital accumulation
and retirement programs (the Investor Program) available to substantially all of its North
American employees; flexible benefits plan, which includes a group personal pension plan (the
Flexible Benefits Plan), available to substantially all of its employees in the U.K.; and
traditional capital accumulation and retirement programs that include defined benefit pension
plans (the Traditional Program) which are closed to new entrants in the U.K. and portions of
which are closed to new entrants in the U.S. and Canada. Although these four kinds of programs
represent Nortels major retirement programs and may be available to employees in combination
and/or as options within a program, Nortel also has smaller pension plan arrangements in other
countries.Nortel also provides other benefits, including post-retirement benefits and post-employment
benefits. Employees in the Traditional Program are eligible for their existing company
sponsored post-retirement benefits or a modified version of these benefits, depending on age or
years of service. Employees in the Balanced Program are eligible for
post-retirement benefits at reduced company contribution 29




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levels, while employees in the Investor Program have
access to post-retirement benefits by purchasing a Nortel-sponsored retiree health care plan at
their own cost.The following details the net pension expense for the defined benefit plans for the three and
nine months ended September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Pension expense:Service cost
    
    $
    30
    
    
    $
    30
    
    
    $
    90
    
    
    $
    89Interest cost
    
    
    104
    
    
    
    99
    
    
    
    311
    
    
    
    306Expected return on plan assets
    
    
    (102
    )
    
    
    (96
    )
    
    
    (305
    )
    
    
    (307
    )Amortization of prior service cost
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    8Amortization of net losses (gains)
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    57
    
    
    
    34Settlement losses (gains)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    49
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    52Net pension expense
    
    $
    52
    
    
    $
    97
    
    
    $
    156
    
    
    $
    182
  The following details the net cost components, all related to continuing operations, of
post-retirement benefits other than pensions for the three and nine months ended September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Post-retirement benefit cost:Service cost
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    7
    
    
    $
    7Interest cost
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    31Expected return on plan assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )Amortization of prior service cost
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (2
    )Amortization of net losses (gains)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    Net post-retirement benefit cost
    
    $
    12
    
    
    $
    13
    
    
    $
    37
    
    
    $
    34
  During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, contributions of $167 were made to the
defined benefit plans and $23 to the post-retirement benefit plans. Nortel contributed an
additional $35 in 2004 to the defined benefit plans for a total contribution of $202, which
excluded $78 of deferred contributions for 2004 which were made in 2003, and an additional $8 in
2004 to the post-retirement benefit plans for a total contribution of $31.On December 8, 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003
(the MPDIM Act) was signed into law in the U.S. The MPDIM Act introduced a prescription drug
benefit under Medicare (specifically, Medicare Part D) as well as a federal subsidy to sponsors
of retiree health care benefit plans that provide a benefit that is at least actuarially
equivalent to Medicare Part D. As permitted by FSP FAS 106-1, Accounting and Disclosure
Requirements Related to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of
2003, Nortel chose to make the one-time deferral election which remained in effect for its
plans in the U.S. until the earlier of the issuance of specific authoritative guidance by the
FASB on how to account for the federal subsidy to be provided to plan sponsors under the MPDIM
Act or the remeasurement of plan assets and obligations subsequent to January 31, 2004. On May
19, 2004, FSP FAS 106-2, Accounting and Disclosure Requirements Related to the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (FSP FAS 106-2) was issued by
the FASB to provide guidance relating to the prescription drug subsidy provided by the MPDIM
Act. Nortel expects to have portions of its post-retirement benefit plans qualify as
actuarially equivalent to the benefit provided under the MPDIM Act, for which it expects to
receive federal subsidies. Nortel expects that other portions of the plans will not be
actuarially equivalent. Nortel adopted FSP FAS 106-2 in the second quarter of 2004. The
financial impact of the federal subsidies was determined by remeasuring Nortel retiree life and
medical obligation as of January 1, 2004, as provided under the retroactive application
provision of FSP FAS 106-2. As a result of adoption, the accumulated post-retirement benefit
obligation decreased by $31. Net periodic post-retirement benefit costs decreased by $1 and $2
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004. 30




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9.
    
    Acquisitions and divestituresAcquisitionsOn July 1, 2003, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS N.V. (EADS) exercised
a put option to sell its minority interest of 45 percent in Nortel Networks France S.A.S.
(NNF) to Nortel. On July 18, 2003, Nortel exercised its call option and share exchange rights
to acquire the minority interest held by EADS of 42 percent in Nortel Networks Germany GmbH &
Co. KG (NNG) and to sell Nortels equity interest of 41 percent in EADS Telecom S.A.S.,
formerly EADS Defence and Security Networks S.A.S (EADS Telecom) to EADS. The transactions
were completed on September 18, 2003.During the three months ended September 30, 2003, Nortel recorded the acquisitions of the
minority interests of NNF and NNG based on preliminary valuation estimates totaling $241. The
purchase price of $241 included $58 of cash, an in-kind component of approximately $82
representing the return of a loan note that was owed to Nortel by EADS Telecom and the remaining
 shares of EADS Telecom held by Nortel. The allocation of the purchase price resulted in the
elimination of $23 of minority interest, settlement of a net liability of $94 related to the put
and call options and an increase of $45 in intangible assets and $79 in goodwill. The intangible
assets of $45 related primarily to customer contracts and customer relationships and are being
amortized based on their expected pattern of benefit to future periods using estimates of
undiscounted cash flows, and were included in intangible assets on the consolidated balance
sheet as of December 31, 2003.The sale of Nortels 41 percent interest in EADS Telecom resulted in the receipt of cash of $12
and a reduction in equity investments of $23. As a result of this transaction, Nortel recognized
a gain of $79 which is included in other income (expense)  net for the nine months ended
September 30, 2003. Except as noted below, there was no additional impact on the results of
operations and financial condition, as NNF and NNG were already included in the consolidated
results.DivestituresOn February 3, 2004, Nortel sold approximately 7 million common shares of Entrust Inc.
(Entrust) for cash consideration of $33, and recorded a gain of $18 in other income (expense)
  net. As a result of this transaction, Nortel no longer holds any equity interest in Entrust.During March 2004, Nortel sold 1.8 million shares of Arris Group, Inc. (Arris Group) for cash
consideration of $17, which resulted in a gain of $13, which was recorded in other income
(expense)  net. Following this transaction, Nortel owned 3.2 million Arris Group common shares
or 4.2 percent of Arris Group outstanding common shares (see note 18).On May 7, 2004, Nortel received $80 in proceeds from the sale of certain assets in connection
with a customer contract settlement in Latin America. This resulted in a gain of $78, which was
included in (gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets for the nine months ended September 30,
2004.On August 2, 2004, Nortel completed the contribution of
certain fixed assets, intangible assets including customer contracts,
software and other licenses, and liabilities of its
directory and operator services (DOS) business to VoltDelta Resources LLC (VoltDelta), a
wholly owned subsidiary of Volt Information Sciences, Inc. (VIS), in return for a 24 percent
interest in VoltDelta which was valued at $55. After a period of two years, Nortel and VIS each have an option to cause
Nortel to sell its VoltDelta shares to VIS for proceeds ranging from $25 to $70. As a result of
this transaction, approximately 160 Nortel DOS employees in North America and Mexico joined
VoltDelta. Nortel recorded a gain on sale of businesses and assets of approximately $38 in the
third quarter of 2004.10.
    
    Long-term debt, credit and support facilitiesLong-term debtAs a result of the delay in the filing of the Nortel 2003 Annual Report and the annual
report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2003 of Nortels principal operating
subsidiary, NNL (the NNL 2003 Annual Report, and together with the Nortel 2003 Annual Report,
the 2003 Annual Reports), and as a result of the delay in the filing of Nortels and NNLs
quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2004 (the First Quarter
Reports), the three months ended June 30, 2004 (the Second Quarter Reports) and the three
months ended September 30, 2004 (the Third Quarter
Reports, and together with the First
Quarter Reports and 31




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the Second Quarter Reports, the Quarterly Reports and the Quarterly
Reports together with the 2003 Annual Reports, the Reports), Nortel and NNL
were not in compliance with their obligations to deliver their respective SEC filings to the
trustees under Nortel and NNLs public debt indentures as of September 30, 2004. Although
Nortel and NNL have now filed the 2003 Annual Reports and the Quarterly Reports, as a result of
the delay in the filing of Nortels and NNLs respective annual reports on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2004 (the 2004 Annual Reports), Nortel and NNL remain not in
compliance with their obligation to deliver their respective SEC filings to the trustees under
Nortels and NNLs public debt indentures. Approximately $1,800 of notes of NNL (or its
subsidiaries) and $1,800 of convertible debt securities of Nortel were outstanding under such
indentures as of September 30, 2004. The continued delay in filing does not result in an
automatic event of default and acceleration of the long-term debt of Nortel or NNL and such
default and acceleration could not occur unless notice of such non-compliance is provided to
Nortel or NNL, as applicable, and Nortel or NNL, as applicable, fail to file and deliver the
2004 Annual Reports within 90 days after such notice is provided, all in accordance with the
terms of the indentures. Neither Nortel nor NNL has received any such notice as of September
30, 2004. For additional information, see note 20.During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, Nortel purchased land and two buildings for $87
that were previously leased by Nortel, through a single transaction variable interest entity
that was consolidated under the provisions of FIN 46R. As a result, Nortel extinguished a debt
of $87.During the nine months ended September 30, 2003, Nortel purchased a portion of its 6.125% Notes
due February 15, 2006 with a face value of $39. The transaction resulted in a gain of $4 which
was included in the consolidated statement of operations within other income (expense)  net for
the nine months ended September 30, 2003.Credit facilitiesOn April 28, 2004, NNL notified the banks under the NNL and Nortel Networks Inc. (NNI)
$750 April 2000 five year credit facilities (the Five Year Facilities) that it was terminating
these facilities. Absent such termination, the banks would have been permitted to terminate
their commitments under the Five Year Facilities as a result of NNLs inability to file the NNL
2003 Annual Report by April 29, 2004. Upon termination, the Five Year Facilities were undrawn.
For information relating to the impact of the termination of the Five Year Facilities under the
security agreements entered into by NNL and various of its subsidiaries, see note 22.Support facilityOn February 14, 2003, NNL entered into an agreement with Export Development Canada (EDC)
regarding arrangements to provide for support, on a secured basis, of certain performance
related obligations arising out of normal course business activities for the benefit of Nortel
(the EDC Support Facility). NNLs obligations under the EDC Support Facility also became
secured on an equal and ratable basis under the security agreements entered into by NNL and
various of its subsidiaries that pledged substantially all of the assets of NNL in favor of the
banks under the Five Year Facilities and the holders of Nortel public debt securities. This
security became effective in favor of the banks and the public debt holders on April 4, 2002
(see note 22). On July 10, 2003, NNL and EDC amended the terms of the EDC Support Facility by
extending the termination date of the facility to December 31, 2005 from June 30, 2004 and on
December 10, 2004, NNL and EDC amended the terms of the EDC Support Facility by extending the
termination date of the facility to December 31, 2006 from December 31, 2005 (for additional
information relating to the EDC Support Facility, the Five Year Facilities and the related
security agreements, see notes 20 and 22).On March 10, 2004, Nortel announced that the filing of the 2003 Annual Reports with the SEC
would be delayed. On March 15, 2004, Nortel announced that the filing of the 2003 Annual
Reports with the SEC would extend beyond March 30, 2004 and that would result in EDC having the
right to terminate its commitments under the EDC Support Facility and to exercise certain rights
against the collateral under the related security agreements (see note 22). NNL obtained a
waiver from EDC on March 29, 2004 of certain defaults under the EDC Support Facility related to
the delay in filing the 2003 Annual Reports with the SEC, the trustees under Nortels and NNLs
public trust indentures and EDC and to permit continued access to the EDC Support Facility in
accordance with its terms while Nortel and NNL completed their filing obligations. The waiver
also applied to certain related breaches under the EDC Support Facility relating to the delayed
filings and the planned restatements and revisions to Nortels and NNLs prior financial results
(the Related Breaches). The waiver was to remain in effect until the earliest of certain
events or May 29, 2004. On March 29, 2004, NNL and EDC also amended the EDC Support Facility to
provide that EDC may also suspend its obligation to issue NNL any additional support if events
occur that have a material adverse effect on NNLs business, financial position or results of
operations and that such amendment would survive the waiver period. 32




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On May 28, 2004, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC of certain defaults under the EDC Support
Facility related to the delay in filing the 2003 Annual Reports and the First Quarter Reports
which waiver was to remain in effect until the earliest of certain events or August 30, 2004.
This waiver reclassified the previously committed $300 revolving small bond sub-facility of the
EDC Support Facility as uncommitted support.A further waiver was obtained from EDC effective August 20, 2004 (the August Waiver) related
to the delay in filing the 2003 Annual Reports, the First Quarter Reports, the Second Quarter
Reports and to the Related Breaches, which waiver was to remain in effect until the earliest of
certain events or September 30, 2004.On September 29, 2004, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC (the September Waiver) which
replaced the August Waiver on substantially the same terms as provided in the August Waiver
except that the September Waiver was to remain in effect until the earliest of certain events or
October 31, 2004. For additional information relating to the EDC Support Facility, the waiver
and the related security agreements, see notes 20 and 22.As of September 30, 2004, the EDC Support Facility provided for up to $750 in support including
$300 of uncommitted revolving support for performance bonds or similar instruments, of which
$201 was utilized, $150 of uncommitted support for receivables sales and/or securitizations, of
which none was utilized, and $300 of uncommitted support for performance bonds and/or
receivables sales and/or securitizations, of which $207 was utilized.11.
    
    Financial instruments and hedging activitiesOn January 27, 2003, various cross currency coupon swaps (notional amount of Canadian $350)
were terminated. There was no impact to net earnings (loss) on termination as these instruments
were not designated as hedges and changes in fair value were previously accounted for in the
consolidated statements of operations.Hedge ineffectiveness and the discontinuance of cash flow hedges and fair value hedges that were
accounted for in accordance with SFAS 133 had no material impact on the net earnings (loss) for
the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 and were reported within other income
(expense)  net in the consolidated statements of operations.12.
    
    GuaranteesNortel has entered into agreements that contain features which meet the definition of a
guarantee under FASB Interpretation No. 45, Guarantors Accounting and Disclosure Requirements
for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of
Others  An Interpretation of
FASB Statements No. 5, 57 and 107 and Rescission of FASB Interpretation No. 34 (FIN 45). FIN
45 defines a guarantee as a contract that contingently requires Nortel to make payments (either
in cash, financial instruments, other assets, common shares of Nortel Networks Corporation or
through the provision of services) to a third party based on changes in an underlying economic
characteristic (such as interest rates or market value) that is related to an asset, a liability
or an equity security of the guaranteed party or a third partys failure to perform under a
specified agreement. A description of the major types of Nortel outstanding guarantees as of
September 30, 2004 is provided below:  (a)
    
    Business sale and business combination agreementsIn connection with agreements for the sale of portions of its business, including
certain discontinued operations, Nortel has typically retained the liabilities of a business
which relate to events occurring prior to its sale, such as tax, environmental, litigation
and employment matters. Nortel generally indemnifies the purchaser of a Nortel business in
the event that a third party asserts a claim against the purchaser that relates to a
liability retained by Nortel. Some of these types of guarantees have indefinite terms while
others have specific terms extending to June 2008.Nortel also entered into guarantees related to the escrow of shares in business combinations
in prior periods. These types of agreements generally include indemnities that require
Nortel to indemnify counterparties for loss incurred from litigation that may be suffered by
counterparties arising under such agreements. These types of indemnities apply over a
specified period of time from the date of the business combinations and do not provide for
any limit on the maximum potential amount.Nortel is unable to estimate the maximum potential liability for these types of
indemnification guarantees as the business sale agreements generally do not specify a
maximum amount and the amounts are dependent upon the outcome of future contingent events,
the nature and likelihood of which cannot be determined. 33




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Historically, Nortel has not made any significant indemnification payments under such
agreements and no significant liability has been accrued in the consolidated financial
statements with respect to the obligations associated with these guarantees.In conjunction with the sale of a subsidiary to a third party, Nortel guaranteed to the
purchaser that specified annual volume levels would be achieved by the business sold over a
ten year period ending December 31, 2007. The maximum amount that Nortel may be required to
pay under the volume guarantee as of September 30, 2004 is $8. A liability of $8 has been
accrued in the consolidated financial statements with respect to the obligation associated
with this guarantee as of September 30, 2004.(b)
    
    Intellectual property indemnification obligationsNortel has periodically entered into agreements with customers and suppliers that
include limited intellectual property indemnification obligations that are customary in the
industry. These types of guarantees typically have indefinite terms and generally require
Nortel to compensate the other party for certain damages and costs incurred as a result of
third party intellectual property claims arising from these transactions.The nature of the intellectual property indemnification obligations generally prevents
Nortel from making a reasonable estimate of the maximum potential amount it could be
required to pay to its customers and suppliers. Historically, Nortel has not made any
significant indemnification payments under such agreements. A liability of $6 has been
accrued in the consolidated financial statements with respect to the obligations associated
with these guarantees as of September 30, 2004.(c)
    
    Lease agreementsNortel has entered into agreements with its lessors that guarantee the lease payments
of certain assignees of its facilities to lessors. Generally, these lease agreements relate
to facilities Nortel vacated prior to the end of the term of its lease. These lease
agreements require Nortel to make lease payments throughout the lease term if the assignee
fails to make scheduled payments. Most of these lease agreements also require Nortel to pay
for facility restoration costs at the end of the lease term if the assignee fails to do so.
These lease agreements have expiration dates through June 2015. The maximum amount that
Nortel may be required to pay under these types of agreements is $51 as of September 30,
2004. Nortel generally has the ability to attempt to recover such lease payments from the
defaulting party through rights of subrogation.Historically, Nortel has not made any significant payments under these types of guarantees
and no significant liability has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements with
respect to the obligations associated with these guarantees.(d)
    
    Third party debt agreementsNortel has guaranteed the debt of certain customers. These third party debt agreements
require Nortel to make debt payments throughout the term of the related debt instrument if
the customer fails to make scheduled debt payments. These third party debt agreements have
expiration dates extending to May 2012. The maximum amount that Nortel may be required to
pay under these types of debt agreements is $8 as of September 30, 2004. Under most such
arrangements, the Nortel guarantee is secured, usually by the assets being purchased or
financed. A liability of $8 has been accrued in the consolidated financial statements with
respect to the obligations associated with these financial guarantees as of September 30,
2004.(e)
    
    Indemnification under EDC Support Facility and security agreementsAs of September 30, 2004, Nortel had agreed to indemnify EDC under the EDC Support
Facility against any legal action brought against EDC that relates to the provision of
support under the EDC Support Facility. Nortel has also agreed to indemnify the collateral
agent under the security agreements against any legal action brought against the collateral
agent in connection with the collateral pledged under the security agreements. These
indemnifications generally apply to issues that arise during the term of the support
facilities or for as long as the security agreements remain in effect (see notes 10 and 20). 34




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Nortel is unable to estimate the maximum potential liability for these types of
indemnification guarantees as the agreements typically do not specify a maximum amount and
the amounts are dependent upon the outcome of future contingent events, the nature and
likelihood of which cannot be determined at this time.Historically, Nortel has not made any significant indemnification payments under such
agreements and no significant liability has been accrued in the consolidated financial
statements with respect to the obligations associated with these indemnification guarantees.Nortel has agreed to indemnify some of its counterparties in certain receivables
securitization transactions. The indemnifications provided to counterparties in these types
of transactions may require Nortel to compensate counterparties for costs incurred as a
result of changes in laws and regulations (including tax legislation) or in the
interpretations of such laws and regulations, or as a result of regulatory penalties that
may be suffered by the counterparty as a consequence of the transaction. Certain
receivables securitization transactions include indemnifications requiring the repurchase of
the receivables if the particular transaction becomes invalid. As of September 30, 2004,
Nortel had approximately $245 of securitized receivables which were subject to repurchase
under this provision, in which case Nortel would assume all rights to collect such
receivables. The indemnification provisions generally expire upon expiration of the
securitization agreements, which extend through 2005, or collection of the receivable
amounts by the counterparty.Nortel is generally unable to estimate the maximum potential liability for all of these
types of indemnification guarantees as certain agreements do not specify a maximum amount
and the amounts are dependent upon the outcome of future contingent events, the nature and
likelihood of which cannot be determined at this time. Historically, Nortel has not made any significant indemnification payments or receivable
repurchases under such agreements and no significant liability has been accrued in the
consolidated financial statements with respect to the obligations associated with these
guarantees.(f)
    
    Other indemnification agreementsNortel has also entered into other agreements that provide indemnifications to
counterparties in certain transactions including investment banking agreements, guarantees
related to the administration of capital trust accounts, guarantees related to the
administration of employee benefit plans, indentures for its outstanding public debt and
asset sale agreements (other than the business sale agreements noted above). These
indemnification agreements generally require Nortel to indemnify the counterparties for
costs incurred as a result of changes in laws and regulations (including tax legislation) or
in the interpretations of such laws and regulations and/or as a result of losses from
litigation that may be suffered by the counterparties arising from the transactions. These
types of indemnification agreements normally extend over an unspecified period of time from
the date of the transaction and do not typically provide for any limit on the maximum
potential payment amount.The nature of such agreements prevents Nortel from making a reasonable estimate of the
maximum potential amount it could be required to pay to its counterparties. The
difficulties in assessing the amount of liability result primarily from the unpredictability
of future changes in laws, the inability to determine how laws apply to counterparties and
the lack of limitations on the potential liability.Historically, Nortel has not made any significant indemnification payments under such
agreements and no significant liability has been accrued in the consolidated financial
statements with respect to the obligations associated with these guarantees.  Product warrantiesAs part of the normal sale of product, Nortel provides its customers with product
warranties that extend for periods generally ranging from one to six years from the date of
sale. The following summarizes the accrual for product warranties that was recorded as part of
other accrued liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2004: 35




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Balance as of December 31, 2003
    
    $
    387Payments
    
    
    (232
    )Warranties issued
    
    
    170Revisions
    
    
    (20
    )Balance as of September 30, 2004
    
    $
    305
  13.
    
    CommitmentsBid, performance related and other bondsNortel has entered into bid, performance related and other bonds associated with various
contracts. Bid bonds generally have a term of less than twelve months, depending on the length
of the bid period for the applicable contract. Performance related and other bonds generally
have a term of twelve months and are typically renewed, as required, over the term of the
applicable contract. The various contracts to which these bonds apply generally have terms
ranging from two to five years. Any potential payments which might become due under these bonds
would be related to Nortels non-performance under the applicable contract. Historically,
Nortel has not had to make material payments under these types of bonds and does not anticipate
that any material payments will be required in the future. The following table sets forth the
maximum potential amount of future payments under bid, performance related and other bonds, net
of the corresponding restricted cash and cash equivalents, as of the following periods: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Bid and performance related bonds(a)
    
    $
    342
    
    
    $
    427Other bonds (b)
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    53Total bid, performance related and other bonds
    
    $
    395
    
    
    $
    480
 (a)
    
    Net of restricted cash and cash equivalent amounts of $29 and $14 as of September 30,
2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.(b)
    
    Net of restricted cash and cash equivalent amounts of $32 and $31 as of September 30,
2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.  Customer financingPursuant to certain financing agreements, Nortel is committed to provide future financing
in connection with purchases of Nortel products and services. Commitments to extend future
financing generally have conditions for funding, fixed expiration or termination dates and
specific interest rates and purposes. Nortel attempts to limit its financing credit risk by
utilizing an internal credit committee that monitors the credit exposure of Nortel. The
following table sets forth customer financing related information and commitments, excluding
discontinued operations, as of the following periods: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Drawn and outstanding  gross
    
    $
    363
    
    
    $
    401Provisions for doubtful accounts
    
    
    (271
    )
    
    
    (281
    )Drawn and outstanding  net(a)
    
    
    92
    
    
    
    120Undrawn commitments (b)
    
    
    51
    
    
    
    180Total customer financing
    
    $
    143
    
    
    $
    300
 (a)
    
    Included short-term and long-term amounts. Short-term and long-term amounts were
included in accounts receivable  net and other assets, respectively, in the consolidated
balance sheets.(b)
    
    On January 8, 2004, Nortel negotiated an agreement with a certain customer and reduced
Nortel aggregate undrawn customer financing commitments from $180 to $69.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, Nortel recorded net customer
financing bad debt recoveries of $11 and $77, respectively.During the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, Nortel entered into certain agreements
to restructure and/or settle various customer financing and related receivables. As a result of
these transactions, Nortel received cash consideration of approximately 36




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$15 and $221, respectively, to settle outstanding receivables
with a net carrying value of $14 and $117, respectively.During the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, Nortel reduced undrawn customer
financing commitments by $129 and $712, respectively, as a result of the expiration or
cancellation of commitments and changing customer business plans. As of September 30, 2004, all
undrawn commitments were available for funding under the terms of the financing agreements.Venture capital financingNortel has entered into agreements with selected venture capital firms where the venture
capital firms make and manage investments in start-ups and emerging enterprises. The agreements
require Nortel to fund requests for additional capital up to its commitments when and if
requests for additional capital are solicited by the venture capital firm. Nortel had remaining
commitments, if requested, of $17 and $24 as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003,
respectively. These commitments expire at various dates through 2012.14.
    
    Restricted cash and cash equivalentsAs of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, approximately $77 and $63, respectively, of
cash and cash equivalents was restricted as collateral for certain bid, performance related and
other bonds as well as for certain normal course of business transactions. The cash and cash
equivalents collateral was in addition to the payment of fees and was required as a result of
the general economic and industry environment and NNLs credit ratings.15.
    
    Capital stock and stock-based compensation plansCommon sharesNortel Networks Corporation is authorized to issue an unlimited number of common shares
without nominal or par value. The outstanding number of common shares and prepaid forward
purchase contracts included in shareholders equity consisted of the following as of September
30, 2004: September 30, 2004Number
    
    
    $(Number of common shares in thousands)Common shares:Balance at beginning of the period
    
    
    4,166,714
    
    
    $
    33,674Shares issued pursuant to:Stock option plans
    
    
    7,127
    
    
    
    39Acquisition and acquisition related (a)
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    Prepaid forward purchase contracts(b)
    
    
    98,833
    
    
    
    127Balance at end of the period
    
    
    4,272,671
    
    
    $
    33,840(Number of prepaid forward purchase contracts)Prepaid forward purchase contracts: (c)Balance at beginning of the period
    
    
    9,693
    
    
    $
    209Prepaid forward purchase contracts settled
    
    
    (5,853
    )
    
    
    (127
    )Balance at end of the period
    
    
    3,840
    
    
    $
    82
 (a)
    
    Common shares issued as part of the purchase price consideration. During the nine
months ended September 30, 2004, 3 common shares were cancelled as earn out provisions were
forfeited pursuant to their applicable agreements.(b)
    
    During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, 98,833 common shares were issued as a
result of the early settlement of 5,853 prepaid forward purchase contracts. The net
proceeds from the settled contracts of $127 were transferred from additional paid-in
capital to common shares.(c)
    
    Included in additional paid-in capital in the consolidated balance sheets. 37




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At Nortels annual and special shareholders meeting on April 24, 2003, shareholders
approved the reconfirmation and amendment of Nortels shareholder rights plan, which will expire
at the annual meeting of shareholders to be held in 2006 unless it is reconfirmed at that time.
Under the rights plan, Nortel issues one right for each Nortel Networks Corporation common share
outstanding. These rights become exercisable upon the occurrence of certain events associated
with an unsolicited takeover bid.Stock-based compensation plansAs a result of Nortels March 10, 2004 announcements, as described in note 20, Nortel
suspended as of March 10, 2004: the purchase of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares under
the stock purchase plans for eligible employees in eligible countries that facilitate the
acquisition of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares at a discount; the exercise of
outstanding options granted under the Nortel Networks Corporation 2000 Stock Option Plan or
Nortel Networks Corporation 1986 Stock Option Plan As Amended and Restated, or the grant of any
additional options under those plans, or the exercise of outstanding options granted under
employee stock option plans previously assumed by Nortel in connection with mergers and
acquisitions; and the purchase of units in a Nortel stock fund or purchase of Nortel Networks
Corporation common shares under Nortels defined contribution and investment plans, until such
time, at the earliest, that Nortel and NNL are in compliance with U.S. and Canadian regulatory
securities filing requirements.Due to the suspension of the purchase of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares under the
stock purchase plans as discussed above, in lieu of the employer portion of stock purchase plan
contributions Nortel made equivalent pre-tax payments to eligible employees during the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2004 totaling $1 and $6, respectively, which was recorded as
compensation expense in the respective periods.16.
    
    Earnings (loss) per common shareThe following table details the weighted-average number of Nortel Networks Corporation
common shares outstanding for the purposes of computing basic and diluted earnings (loss) per
common share for each of the three and nine months ended September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,(Number of common shares in millions)
    
    2004(a)
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004(a)
    
    
    2003(a)Basic weighted-average shares outstanding:Issued and outstanding
    
    
    4,273
    
    
    
    3,964
    
    
    
    4,260
    
    
    
    3,896Prepaid forward purchase contracts(b)
    
    
    65
    
    
    
    366
    
    
    
    76
    
    
    
    433Basic weighted-average shares outstanding
    
    
    4,338
    
    
    
    4,330
    
    
    
    4,336
    
    
    
    4,329Weighted-average shares dilution adjustments:Dilutive stock options
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding
    
    
    4,338
    
    
    
    4,332
    
    
    
    4,336
    
    
    
    4,329Weighted-average shares dilution
adjustments  exclusions (a):Dilutive stock options
    
    
    300
    
    
    
    296
    
    
    
    300
    
    
    
    2984.25% Convertible Senior Notes (c)
    
    
    180
    
    
    
    180
    
    
    
    180
    
    
    
    180
 (a)
    
    As a result of the net loss from continuing operations for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2004 and nine months ended September 30, 2003, all potential dilutive
securities were considered anti-dilutive.(b)
    
    The impact of the minimum number of common shares to be issued upon settlement of the
prepaid forward purchase contracts on a weighted-average basis was 65 and 76 for the three
and nine months ended September 30, 2004, respectively, and 366 and 433 for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. As of September 30, 2004 and 2003, the
minimum number of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares to be issued upon settlement of
the prepaid forward purchase contracts was 65 and 333, respectively.(c)
    
    The 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes were anti-dilutive for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2004 and 2003. 38




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17.
    
    Comprehensive income (loss)The following are the components of comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, for the three and
nine months ended September 30: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    (259
    )
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    (184
    )
    
    $
    (94
    )Other comprehensive income (loss) adjustments:Change in foreign currency
translation adjustment(a)
    
    
    43
    
    
    
    45
    
    
    
    (29
    )
    
    
    340Unrealized gain (loss) on investments  net (b)
    
    
    (19
    )
    
    
    39
    
    
    
    (79
    )
    
    
    83Minimum pension liability adjustment  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    Unrealized derivative gain (loss)
on cash flow hedges  net (c)
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    13Comprehensive income (loss)
    
    $
    (225
    )
    
    $
    207
    
    
    $
    (293
    )
    
    $
    342
 (a)
    
    The change in the foreign currency translation adjustment was not adjusted for income
taxes since it related to indefinite term investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries.(b)
    
    Certain securities deemed available-for-sale by Nortel were measured at fair value.
Unrealized holding gains (losses) related to these securities were excluded from net
earnings (loss) and were included in accumulated other comprehensive loss until realized.
Unrealized gain (loss) on investments was net of tax of nil and nil for the three months
and nine months ended September 30, 2004, respectively, and net of tax of $(3) and nil for
the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively.(c)
    
    During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, $(1) and $1 of net derivative
gains (losses) were reclassified to other income (expense)  net, respectively. During the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, $7 and $21 of net derivative gains (losses)
were reclassified to other income (expense)  net, respectively. Nortel estimates that $15
derivative gains (losses) included in accumulated other comprehensive loss will be
reclassified into net earnings (loss) within the next 12 months.  18.
    
    Discontinued operationsDuring the year ended December 31, 2003, Nortel substantially completed the wind down of
its access solutions operations. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, there was no
change to the initial disposal strategy or intent to exit the business which was approved by the
Nortel Board of Directors on June 14, 2001.The following unaudited consolidated financial results for discontinued operations are presented
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 for the consolidated statements
of operations and as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003 for the consolidated balance
sheets and for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 for the consolidated statements
of cash flows:Consolidated statements of operations: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Revenues
    
    $
    1
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    9Net earnings (loss) from discontinued
operations  net of tax (a)
    
    $
    5
    
    
    $
    43
    
    
    $
    12
    
    
    $
    157
 (a)
    
    Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations was net of applicable income tax of
nil and nil for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, respectively, and net
of applicable income tax of $19 and nil for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2003, respectively. 39




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Consolidated balance sheets: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Deferred income taxes
    
    $
    21
    
    
    $
    26Other current assets
    
    
    (2)
    
    
    
    2Total current assets of discontinued operations(a) (b)
    
    $
    19
    
    
    $
    28Other long-term assets (b) (c)
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    4Total assets of discontinued operations
    
    $
    24
    
    
    $
    32Current liabilities (b) (d)
    
    $
    1
    
    
    $
    6Long-term liabilities (b)
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    1Total liabilities of discontinued operations
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    7
 (a)
    
    Included accounts receivable of $(2) and nil, which was net of provisions of nil and $5,
as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively. Included inventories of nil
and nil, which was net of provisions of $56 and $75, as of September 30, 2004 and December
31, 2003, respectively.(b)
    
    Current assets, other long-term assets, current liabilities and long-term liabilities
of discontinued operations were included in other current assets, other assets, other
accrued liabilities and other liabilities, respectively, on the consolidated balance
sheets.(c)
    
    Included customer financing receivables of $4 and $4, which was net of provisions of
$55 and $55, as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.(d)
    
    Consisted of future contractual obligations and estimated liabilities of $1 and $6 as
of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, respectively.  Consolidated statements of cash flows: September 30,
    
    
    September 30,2004
    
    
    2003Cash flows from (used in) discontinued operationsOperating activities
    
    $
    16
    
    
    $
    148Investing activities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    241Net cash from (used in) discontinued operations
    
    $
    16
    
    
    $
    389
  Activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2003Nortel recorded net earnings from discontinued operations  net of tax, of $157 for the
nine months ended September 30, 2003. The significant items included in net earnings are
summarized below.During the nine months ended September 30, 2003, Nortel reassessed its remaining provisions for
discontinued operations and recorded a net gain of $79, consisting of changes in estimates of
$160 for liabilities, offset by additional provisions for both short-term and long-term
receivables of $81.On March 24, 2003, Nortel sold 8 million common shares of Arris Group back to Arris Group for
cash consideration of $28 pursuant to a March 11, 2003 agreement, which resulted in a gain of
$12. Following this transaction, Nortels interest in Arris Group was reduced to 18.8 percent,
and it ceased equity accounting for the investment. As a result, Nortel now classifies its
remaining ownership interest in Arris Group as an available-for-sale investment within
continuing operations. Nortel continues to dispose of its interest in Arris Group and the gain
or loss on the sale of shares subsequent to the first quarter of 2003 has been included in other
income (expense)  net (see note 9).On March 18, 2003, Nortel assigned its subordinated redeemable preferred interest in Arris
Interactive, L.L.C. (Arris Interactive) to ANTEC Corporation, an Arris Group company, for cash
consideration of $88. As a result of this transaction, Nortel recorded a loss of $2. Also in
connection with the March 2003 transactions, Nortel received $11 upon settlement of a sales
representation agreement with Arris Group and recorded a gain of $11. 40




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On March 20, 2003, Nortel entered into an agreement with a customer to restructure approximately
$465 of trade and customer financing receivables owed to Nortel, the majority of which was
previously provisioned. As a result of the restructuring agreement, Nortel received
consideration including cash of $125, notes receivable and an ownership interest which have been
fully provided for and the mutual release of all other claims between the parties. A gain of
$66 was recorded as a result of the transaction. In addition to the restructuring agreement, a
five year equipment and services supply agreement was entered into requiring customer payment
terms of either cash in advance or guarantee by letters of credit in favor of Nortel.19.
    
    ContingenciesSubsequent to the February 15, 2001 announcement in which Nortel provided revised guidance
for financial performance for the 2001 fiscal year and the first quarter of 2001, Nortel and
certain of its then current officers and directors were named as defendants in more than
twenty-five purported class action lawsuits. These lawsuits in the U.S. District Courts for the
Eastern District of New York, for the Southern District of New York and for the District of New
Jersey and the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia in Canada, on behalf of
shareholders who acquired Nortel Networks Corporation securities as early as October 24, 2000
and as late as February 15, 2001, allege, among other things, violations of U.S. federal and
Canadian provincial securities laws. These matters also have been the subject of review by
Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities. On May 11, 2001, the defendants filed
motions to dismiss and/or stay in connection with the three proceedings in Quebec primarily
based on the factual allegations lacking substantial connection to Quebec and the inclusion of
shareholders resident in Quebec in the class claimed in the Ontario lawsuit. The plaintiffs in
two of these proceedings in Quebec obtained court approval for discontinuances of their
proceedings on January 17, 2002. The motion to dismiss and/or stay the third proceeding was
heard on November 6, 2001 and the court deferred any determination on the motion to the judge
who will hear the application for authorization to commence a class proceeding. On December 6,
2001, the defendants filed a motion seeking leave to appeal that decision. The motion for leave
to appeal was dismissed on March 11, 2002. On October 16, 2001, an order in the Southern
District of New York was filed consolidating twenty-five of the related U.S. class action
lawsuits into a single case, appointing class plaintiffs and counsel for such plaintiffs. The
plaintiffs served a consolidated amended complaint on January 18, 2002. On December 17, 2001,
the defendants in the British Columbia action served notice of a motion requesting the court to
decline jurisdiction and to stay all proceedings on the grounds that British Columbia is an
inappropriate forum. The motion has been adjourned at the plaintiffs request to a future date
to be set by the parties.A class action lawsuit against Nortel was also filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York on behalf of shareholders who acquired the securities of JDS between
January 18, 2001 and February 15, 2001, alleging violations of the same U.S. federal securities
laws as the above-noted lawsuits.On April 1, 2002, Nortel filed a motion to dismiss both the above consolidated U.S. shareholder
class action and the above JDS shareholder class action complaints on the grounds that they
failed to state a cause of action under U.S. federal securities laws. With respect to the JDS
shareholder class action complaint, Nortel also moved to dismiss on the separate basis that JDS
shareholders lacked standing to sue Nortel. On January 3, 2003, the District Court granted the
motion to dismiss the JDS shareholder class action complaint and denied the motion to dismiss
the consolidated U.S. class action complaint. Plaintiffs appealed the dismissal of the JDS
shareholder class action complaint. On November 19, 2003, oral argument was held before the
Second Circuit on the JDS shareholders appeal of the dismissal of their complaint. On May 19,
2004, the Second Circuit issued an opinion affirming the dismissal of the JDS shareholder class
action complaint and on July 14, 2004 the Second Circuit denied plaintiffs motion for
rehearing. On October 12, 2004, the plaintiffs filed a petition for writ of certiorari in the
U.S. Supreme Court. On November 12, 2004, the defendants filed Brief for the Respondents in
Opposition, and on November 22, 2004, the plaintiffs filed Reply to Brief in Opposition. On
January 10, 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition for writ of certiorari. With
respect to the consolidated U.S. shareholder class action, the plaintiffs served a motion for
class certification on March 21, 2003. On May 30, 2003, the defendants served an opposition to
the motion for class certification. Plaintiffs reply was served on August 1, 2003. The
District Court held oral arguments on September 3, 2003 and issued an order granting class
certification on September 5, 2003. On September 23, 2003, the defendants filed a motion in the
Second Circuit for permission to appeal the class certification decision. The plaintiffs
opposition to the motion was filed on October 2, 2003. On November 24, 2003, the Second Circuit
denied the motion. On March 10, 2004, the District Court approved the form of notice to the
class which was published and mailed.On July 17, 2002, a new purported class action lawsuit (the Ontario Claim) was filed in the
Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Commercial List, naming Nortel, certain of its current and
former officers and directors and its auditors as defendants. The factual allegations in the
Ontario Claim are substantially similar to the allegations in the consolidated amended complaint
filed in the U.S. District Court described above. The Ontario Claim is on behalf of all
Canadian residents who purchased Nortel Networks Corporation 41




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securities (including options on Nortel
Networks Corporation securities) between October 24, 2000 and February 15, 2001. The plaintiffs
claim damages of Canadian $5,000, plus punitive damages in the amount of Canadian $1,000,
prejudgment and postjudgment interest and costs of the action. On September 23, 2003, the Court
issued an order allowing the plaintiffs to proceed to amend the Ontario Claim and requiring that
the plaintiffs serve class certification materials by December 15, 2003. On September 24, 2003,
the plaintiffs filed a notice of discontinuance of the original action filed in Ontario. On
December 12, 2003, plaintiffs counsel requested an extension of time to January 21, 2004 to
deliver class certification materials. On January 21, 2004, plaintiffs counsel advised the
Court that the two representative plaintiffs in the action no longer wished to proceed, but
counsel was prepared to deliver draft certification materials pending the replacement of the
representative plaintiffs. On February 19, 2004, the plaintiffs counsel advised the Court of a
potential new representative plaintiff. On February 26, 2004, the defendants requested the
Court to direct the plaintiffs counsel to bring a motion to permit the withdrawal of the
current representative plaintiffs and to substitute the proposed representative plaintiff. On
June 8, 2004, the Court signed an order allowing a Second Fresh as Amended Statement of Claim
that substituted one new representative plaintiff, but did not change the substance of the prior
claim.A purported class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of
Tennessee on December 21, 2001, on behalf of participants and beneficiaries of the Nortels
Long-Term Investment Plan (the Plan) at any time during the period of March 7, 2000 through
the filing date and who made or maintained Plan investments in Nortel Networks Corporation
common shares, under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for Plan-wide relief
and alleging, among other things, material misrepresentations and omissions to induce Plan
participants to continue to invest in and maintain investments in Nortel Networks Corporation
common shares in the Plan. A second purported class action lawsuit, on behalf of the Plan and
Plan participants for whose individual accounts the Plan purchased Nortel Networks Corporation
common shares during the period from October 27, 2000 to February 15, 2001 and making similar
allegations was filed in the same court on March 12, 2002. A third purported class action
lawsuit, on behalf of persons who are or were Plan participants or beneficiaries at any time
since March 1, 1999 to the filing date and making similar allegations, was filed in the same
court on March 21, 2002. The first and second purported class action lawsuits were consolidated
by a new purported class action complaint, filed on May 15, 2002 in the same court and making
similar allegations, on behalf of Plan participants and beneficiaries who directed the Plan to
purchase or hold shares of certain funds, which held primarily Nortel Networks Corporation
common shares, during the period from March 7, 2000 through December 21, 2001. On September 24,
2002, plaintiffs in the consolidated action filed a motion to consolidate all the actions and to
transfer them to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs
then filed a motion to withdraw the pending motion to consolidate and transfer. The withdrawal
was granted by the District Court on December 30, 2002. A fourth purported class action
lawsuit, on behalf of the Plan and Plan participants for whose individual accounts the Plan held
Nortel Networks Corporation common shares during the period from March 7, 2000 through March 31,
2001 and making similar allegations, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York on March 12, 2003. On March 18, 2003, plaintiffs in the fourth purported
class action filed a motion with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to transfer all
the actions to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for coordinated or
consolidated proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 1407. On June 24, 2003, the Judicial
Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a transfer order transferring the Southern District of
New York action to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee (the Consolidated ERISA Action). On
September 12, 2003, the plaintiffs in all the actions filed a consolidated class action
complaint. On October 28, 2003, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the complaint and a
motion to stay discovery pending disposition of the motion to dismiss. On March 30, 2004, the
plaintiffs filed a motion for certification of a class consisting of participants in, or
beneficiaries of, the Plan who held shares of the Nortel Stock Fund during the period from March
7, 2000 through March 31, 2001. On April 27, 2004, the Court granted the defendants motion to
stay discovery pending resolution of defendants motion to dismiss. On June 15, 2004, the
plaintiffs filed a First Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint that added additional
current and former officers and employees as defendants and expanded the purported class period
to extend from March 7, 2000 through to June 15, 2004.On March 4, 1997, Bay Networks, Inc. (Bay Networks), a company acquired on August 31, 1998,
announced that shareholders had filed two separate lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the
Northern District of California (the Federal Court) and the California Superior Court, County
of Santa Clara (the California Court), against Bay Networks and ten of Bay Networks then
current and former officers and directors purportedly on behalf of a class of shareholders who
purchased Bay Networks common shares during the period of May 1, 1995 through October 14, 1996.
On August 17, 2000, the Federal Court granted the defendants motion to dismiss the federal
complaint. On August 1, 2001, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit denied the
plaintiffs appeal of that decision. On April 18, 1997, a second lawsuit was filed in the
California Court, purportedly on behalf of a class of shareholders who acquired Bay Networks
common shares pursuant to the registration statement and prospectus that became effective on
November 15, 1995. The two actions in the California Court were consolidated in April 1998;
however, the California Court denied the plaintiffs motion for
class certification. 42




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In January 2000, the California Court of Appeal rejected the plaintiffs appeal of the decision. A petition for review was filed with the
California Supreme Court by the plaintiffs and was denied. In February 2000, new plaintiffs who
allege to have been shareholders of Bay Networks during the relevant periods, filed a motion for
intervention in the California Court seeking to become the representatives of a class of
shareholders. The motion was granted on June 8, 2001 and the new plaintiffs filed their
complaint-in-intervention on an individual and purported class representative basis alleging
misrepresentations made in connection with the purchase and sale of securities of Bay Networks
in violation of California statutory and common law. On March 11, 2002, the California Court
granted the defendants motion to strike the class allegations. The plaintiffs were permitted
to proceed on their individual claims. The intervenor-plaintiffs appealed the dismissal of
their class allegations. On July 25, 2003, the California Court of Appeal reversed the trial
courts dismissal of the intervenor-plaintiffs class allegations. On September 3, 2003, the
defendants filed a petition for review with the California Supreme Court seeking permission to
appeal the Court of Appeal decision. On October 22, 2003, the California Supreme Court denied,
without opinion, the defendants petition for review. On December 22, 2003, the plaintiffs
served their motion for certification of a class of purchasers of Bay Networks common shares
from July 25, 1995 through to October 14, 1996. Hearing of the plaintiffs motion for class
certification was held on May 4, 2004. On July 27, 2004, the Court entered an Amended Order
Denying Motion of Intervenor Plaintiffs for Class Certification and Setting Further Hearing. On
August 9, 2004, the intervenor-plaintiffs obtained Court approval to dismiss their claims and
this action and, on September 30, 2004, the Court entered dismissal with prejudice of the entire
action of all parties and all causes of action.Subsequent to the March 10, 2004 announcement in which Nortel indicated it was likely that it
would need to revise its previously announced unaudited results for the year ended December 31,
2003, and the results reported in certain of its quarterly reports for 2003, and to restate its
previously filed financial results for one or more earlier periods, Nortel and certain of its
then current and former officers and directors were named as defendants in 27 purported class
action lawsuits. These lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New
York on behalf of shareholders who acquired Nortel Networks Corporation securities as early as
February 16, 2001 and as late as May 15, 2004, allege, among other things, violations of U.S.
federal securities laws. These matters are also the subject of investigations by Canadian and
U.S. securities regulatory and criminal investigative authorities (see note 20). On June 30,
2004, the Court signed Orders consolidating the 27 class actions and appointing lead plaintiffs
and lead counsel. The plaintiffs filed a consolidated class action complaint on September 10,
2004, alleging a class period of April 24, 2003 through and including April 27, 2004. On
November 5, 2004, Nortel Networks Corporation and the Audit Committee Defendants filed a motion
to dismiss the consolidated class action complaint. On January 18, 2005, the lead plaintiffs,
Nortel Networks Corporation, and the Audit Committee Defendants reached an agreement in which
Nortel would withdraw its motion to dismiss and plaintiffs would dismiss Count II of the
complaint which asserts a claim against the Audit Committee Defendants.On May 18, 2004, a purported class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the
Middle District of Tennessee on behalf of individuals who were participants and beneficiaries of
the Plan at any time during the period of December 23, 2003 through the filing date and who made
or maintained Plan investments in Nortel Networks Corporation common shares, under the ERISA for
Plan-wide relief and alleging, among other things, breaches of fiduciary duty. On September 3,
2004, the Court signed a stipulated order consolidating this action with the Consolidated ERISA
Action described above. On June 16, 2004, a second purported class action lawsuit, on behalf of
the Plan and Plan participants for whose individual accounts the Plan purchased Nortel Networks
Corporation common shares during the period from October 24, 2000 to June 16, 2004, and making
similar allegations, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
On August 6, 2004, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a conditional transfer
order to transfer this action to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
for coordinated or consolidated proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 1407 with the
Consolidated ERISA Action described above. On August 20, 2004, plaintiffs filed a notice of
opposition to the conditional transfer order with the Judicial Panel. On December 6, 2004, the
Judicial Panel denied the opposition and ordered the action transferred to the U.S. District
Court for the Middle District of Tennessee for coordinated or consolidated proceedings with the
Consolidated ERISA Action described above. On January 3, 2005, this action was received in the
U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and it has been consolidated with the
Consolidated ERISA Action described above.On July 28, 2004, Nortel and NNL, and certain directors and officers, and certain former
directors and officers, of Nortel and NNL, were named as defendants in a purported class
proceeding in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on behalf of shareholders who acquired
Nortel Networks Corporation securities as early as November 12, 2002 and as late as July 28,
2004. This lawsuit alleges, among other things, breaches of trust and fiduciary duty,
oppressive conduct and misappropriation of corporate assets and trust property in respect of the
payment of cash bonuses to executives, officers and employees in 2003 and 2004 under the Nortel
Return to Profitability bonus program and seeks damages of Canadian
$250 and an order under the Canada Business Corporations Act directing that an 43




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investigation be made respecting these bonus payments.On July 30, 2004, a shareholders derivative complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New York against certain directors and officers, and certain former
directors and officers, of Nortel alleging, among other things, breach of fiduciary duties owed
to Nortel during the period from 2000 to 2003 including by causing Nortel to engage in unlawful
conduct or failing to prevent such conduct; causing Nortel to issue false statements; and
violating the law. On February 14, 2005, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the derivative
complaint.On February 16, 2005, a motion for authorization to institute a class action on behalf of
residents of Québec, who purchased Nortel securities between January 29, 2004 and March 15,
2004, was filed in the Québec Superior Court naming Nortel as a defendant. The factual
allegations allege that Nortel made misrepresentations about its 2003 financial results.On March 9, 2005, Nortel and certain of its current and former officers and directors and its
auditors were named as defendants in a purported class proceeding
filed in the Ontario Superior Court
of Justice, Commercial List, on behalf of all Canadian residents who purchased Nortel Networks
Corporation securities from April 24, 2003 to April 27, 2004. This lawsuit alleges, among other
things, negligence, misrepresentations, oppressive conduct, insider trading and violations of
Canadian corporation and competition laws in connection with Nortels 2003 financial results and
seeks damages of Canadian $3,000, plus punitive damages in the amount of Canadian $1,000,
prejudgment and postjudgment interest and costs of the action.Except as otherwise described herein, in each of the matters described above, the plaintiffs are
seeking an unspecified amount of monetary damages.Nortel is also a defendant in various other suits, claims, proceedings and investigations which
arise in the normal course of business.Nortel is unable to ascertain the ultimate aggregate amount of monetary liability or financial
impact to Nortel of the above matters which, unless otherwise specified, seek damages from the
defendants of material or indeterminate amounts or could result in fines and penalties. Nortel
cannot determine whether these actions, suits, claims and proceedings will, individually or
collectively, have a material adverse effect on the business, results of operations, financial
condition and liquidity of Nortel. Nortel and any named directors and officers of Nortel intend
to vigorously defend these actions, suits, claims and proceedings.Environmental mattersNortels operations are subject to a wide range of environmental laws in various
jurisdictions around the world. Nortel seeks to operate its business in compliance with such
laws. In 2004, Nortel became subject to new European product content laws and
product takeback and recycling requirements that will require full compliance by 2006. It is
expected that these laws will require Nortel to incur additional compliance costs. Although
costs relating to environmental matters have not resulted in a material adverse effect on the
business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity in the past, there can be no
assurance that Nortel will not be required to incur such costs in the future. Nortel has a
corporate environmental management system standard and an environmental program to promote such
compliance. Moreover, Nortel has a periodic, risk-based, integrated environment, health and
safety audit program.Nortels environmental program focuses its activities on design for the environment, supply
chain and packaging reduction issues. Nortel works with its suppliers and other external groups
to encourage the sharing of non-proprietary information on environmental research.Nortel is exposed to liabilities and compliance costs arising from its past and current
generation, management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes. As of September 30,
2004, the accruals on the consolidated balance sheet for environmental matters were $31. Based
on information available as of September 30, 2004, management believes that the existing
accruals are sufficient to satisfy probable and reasonably estimable environmental liabilities
related to known environmental matters. Any additional liability that may result from these
matters, and any additional liabilities that may result in connection with other locations
currently under investigation, are not expected to have a material adverse effect on the
business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity of Nortel. 44




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Nortel has remedial activities under way at 12 sites which are either currently or previously
owned or occupied facilities. An estimate of Nortels anticipated remediation costs associated
with all such sites, to the extent probable and reasonably estimable, is included in the
environmental accruals referred to above in an approximate amount of $31.Nortel is also listed as a potentially responsible party (PRP) under the U.S. Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) at six Superfund sites in the
U.S. An estimate of Nortels share of the anticipated remediation costs associated with such
Superfund sites is expected to be de minimis and is included in the environmental accruals of
$31 referred to above.Liability under CERCLA may be imposed on a joint and several basis, without regard to the extent
of Nortels involvement. In addition, the accuracy of Nortels estimate of environmental
liability is affected by several uncertainties such as additional requirements which may be
identified in connection with remedial activities, the complexity and evolution of environmental
laws and regulations, and the identification of presently unknown remediation requirements.
Consequently, Nortels liability could be greater than its current estimate.20.
    
    Subsequent eventsNortel Audit Committee Independent Review; restatements; related mattersAs previously announced by Nortel in October 2003, in late October 2003 the Nortel Audit
Committee initiated the Independent Review of the facts and circumstances leading to the First
Restatement and engaged WCPHD to advise it in connection with the Independent Review.On March 10, 2004, Nortel announced that as a result of the work done to date in connection with
the Independent Review, it was re-examining the establishment, timing of, support for and
release to income of certain accruals and provisions in prior periods. Further, it was likely
that Nortel would need to revise its previously announced unaudited results for the year ended
December 31, 2003, and the results reported in certain of its quarterly reports for 2003, and to
restate its previously filed financial results for one or more earlier periods. Nortel announced
on March 15, 2004 that the filing of the 2003 Annual Reports would be delayed beyond March 30,
2004.On April 5, 2004, Nortel announced that the SEC had issued a formal order of investigation in
connection with Nortels previous restatement of its financial results for certain periods, as
announced in October 2003, and Nortels announcements in March 2004 regarding the likely need to
revise certain previously announced results and restate previously filed financial results for
one or more earlier periods. The matter had been the subject of an informal SEC inquiry. On
April 13, 2004, Nortel announced that it had received a letter from the staff of the Ontario
Securities Commission (OSC) advising that there is an OSC Enforcement Staff investigation into
the same matters that are the subject of the SEC investigation.On April 28, 2004, Nortel announced that the Independent Review was extended to include the
second half of 2003 and it was determined that the previously announced unaudited results for
the year ended December 31, 2003 needed to be revised and that the financial results reported in
each of Nortels quarterly periods of 2003 and for earlier periods including 2002 and 2001
needed to be restated. Nortel also announced that it and NNL were not expected to timely file
their first quarter 2004 financial statements and, in accordance with Canadian securities
regulations, their 2003 Canadian GAAP audited financial statements and Annual Information Form.In April 2004, Nortel terminated for cause its former president and chief executive officer,
former chief financial officer and former controller and, in August 2004, seven additional
senior finance employees with significant responsibilities for Nortels financial reporting as a
whole or for their respective business units and geographic regions in August 2004.On May 14, 2004, Nortel announced that it had received a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena for the
production of certain documents, including financial statements and corporate, personnel and
accounting records, prepared during the period from January 1, 2000 to the date of the subpoena.
The materials sought are pertinent to an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by the
U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.On May 17, 2004, Nortel announced that the OSC had issued a temporary order that prohibits all
trading by directors, officers and certain current and former employees in the securities of
Nortel and NNL, which temporary order was replaced with a final order issued on May 31, 2004.
The final order remains in effect until two full business days following the receipt by the OSC
of all filings required to be made by Nortel and NNL pursuant to Ontario securities laws. 45




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On June 29, 2004, Nortel announced that it did not expect to timely file financial statements
for the second quarter of 2004 and related periodic reports in accordance with U.S. and Canadian
securities laws.On August 16, 2004, Nortel received a letter from the Integrated Market Enforcement Team of the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) advising Nortel that the RCMP would be commencing a
criminal investigation into Nortels financial accounting situation.On August 19, 2004, Nortel announced a new streamlined organizational structure, effective
October 1, 2004, that involved, among other things, combining the businesses of Nortels four
segments into two business organizations: (i) Carrier Networks and Global Operations, and (ii)
Enterprise Networks. Further, a focused workforce reduction of approximately 3,250 employees
was announced. In addition, the Audit Committee anticipated that there would be work done, in
addition to that portion of the inquiry which affected Nortels and NNLs ability to finalize
their 2003 audited financial statements, in connection with its Independent Review, on remedial
measures, internal controls and improvements to processes.On October 27, 2004, Nortel announced that Nortel and NNL did not expect to file their third
quarter 2004 financial statements, and the related periodic reports, by the required deadlines
in November 2004 in compliance with certain U.S. and Canadian securities regulations.Nortel has terminated for cause 10 individuals, including its former president and chief
executive officer, its former chief financial officer and its former controller. Nortel has
demanded repayment by the individuals terminated for cause of payments made under Nortel bonus
plans in respect of 2003. Nortel has commenced litigation against its former president and
chief executive officer, former chief financial officer and former controller seeking the return
of payments made to such individuals under Nortels bonus plans in respect of 2003.Subsequent to the March 10, 2004 announcement, numerous class action complaints, including ERISA
class action complaints, have been filed against Nortel in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, a
derivative action complaint has been filed against Nortel. Nortel is subject to significant
pending civil litigation which, if decided against Nortel, could result in substantial damages
or other penalties which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on the business, results
of operations, financial condition and liquidity of Nortel (see note 19).In January 2005, the Audit Committee reported the findings of the Independent Review, together
with its recommendations for governing principles for remedial measures that were developed for
the Audit Committee by WCPHD. Each of Nortels and NNLs Boards of Directors has adopted those
recommendations in their entirety and directed management to develop a detailed plan and
timetable for their implementation, and will monitor their implementation.Also in January 2005, the Nortel Audit Committee determined to review the facts and
circumstances leading to the restatement of certain revenues for specific transactions
identified in the Second Restatement. This review will have a particular emphasis on the
underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues. The Audit Committee
will develop any appropriate additional remedial measures, and has engaged WCPHD to advise it in
connection with such review.EDC Support FacilityOn October 29, 2004, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC (the October Waiver) which
replaced the September Waiver on substantially the same terms as the September Waiver except
that the October Waiver remained in effect until the earliest of certain events or November 19,
2004.A further waiver was obtained from EDC effective November 19, 2004 (the November Waiver)
related to the delay in filing the Reports and the Related Breaches, which waiver was to remain
in effect until the earliest of certain events or December 10, 2004.On December 10, 2004, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC (the December Waiver) which replaced
the November Waiver on substantially the same terms as the November Waiver except that: (i) the
December Waiver included an amendment to the EDC Support Facility to extend the termination date
of the EDC Support Facility to December 31, 2006 from December 31, 2005; and (ii) the December
Waiver remained in effect until the earliest of certain events or January 15, 2005. 46




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On January 14, 2005, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC (the January Waiver) which replaced
the December Waiver on substantially the same terms as the December Waiver except that the
January Waiver remained in effect until the earliest of certain events or February 15, 2005. As previously
announced, Nortel and NNL have filed their respective 2003 Annual Reports, First Quarter Reports
and Second Quarter Reports.On February 15, 2005, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC (the February Waiver) which replaced
the January Waiver on substantially the same terms as the December Waiver except that the
February Waiver remained in effect until the earliest of certain events or March 15, 2005.On March 15, 2005, NNL obtained a new waiver from EDC (the March Waiver) which replaced the
February Waiver on substantially the same terms as the February Waiver except that the March
Waiver remains in effect until the earliest of certain events including the date on which Nortel
and NNL have filed the Third Quarter Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports or April 30, 2005.If Nortel and NNL do not file the 2004 Annual Reports by April 30, 2005, EDC will have the right
on such date (absent a further waiver in relation to the delayed filings and the Related
Breaches) to: (i) terminate the EDC Support Facility; (ii) exercise certain rights against
collateral; or (iii) require NNL to cash collateralize all existing support.In addition, the Related Breaches will continue beyond the filing of the 2004 Annual Reports.
Accordingly, EDC will have the right beginning on the earlier of the
date the 2004 Annual Reports are filed with the SEC, or April 30, 2005 (absent a further waiver of the
Related Breaches) to terminate or suspend the EDC Support Facility and exercise certain other
rights against collateral notwithstanding the filing of the 2004 Annual Reports. While NNL is
seeking a permanent waiver from EDC in connection with the Related Breaches, there can be no
assurance that NNL will receive any waiver or as to the terms of any such waiver. The $300
revolving small bond sub-facility will not become committed support until the 2004 Annual
Reports have been filed with the SEC, the trustees under Nortels and NNLs public trust
indentures and EDC and NNL obtains a permanent waiver of the Related Breaches.Debt securitiesAs a result of the delays in filing the Reports and the 2004
Annual Reports, Nortel and NNL were not in
compliance with their obligations to deliver their Reports and do not
expect to be in compliance with their obligations to deliver the 2004
Annual Reports to the trustees under Nortel and NNLs public debt indentures. As of February 28, 2005, approximately $1,800
of notes of NNL (or its subsidiaries) and $1,800 of convertible debt securities of Nortel were
outstanding.These delays have not resulted in an automatic event of default and acceleration of the
outstanding long-term debt and such default and acceleration cannot occur unless notice of such
non-compliance from holders of 25% of the outstanding principal amount of any relevant debt
securities is provided to Nortel or NNL, as applicable, and Nortel or NNL, as applicable, fail
to file and deliver the relevant report within 90 days after such notice is provided, all in
accordance with the terms of the indentures. While such notice could have been given at any
time after March 30, 2004, neither Nortel nor NNL has received a notice to the date of this
report.Although Nortel and NNL have filed the 2003 Annual Reports and the Quarterly Reports, as a
result of the delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports, Nortel and NNL
will continue not to be in compliance
with their obligations under Nortels and NNLs public debt indentures as described above. If
notice were given, Nortel believes that it is probable that it and NNL would file and deliver
the 2004 Annual Reports within 90 days of receipt of such a notice. In the unlikely event that
acceleration of Nortel and NNLs debt securities were to occur, Nortel may be unable to meet its
payment obligations.Stock exchangesAs a result of the delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports, Nortel is in breach
of the continued listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and the Toronto
Stock Exchange (TSX). To date, neither the NYSE nor the TSX has commenced any suspension or
delisting procedures in respect of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares or other of
Nortels or NNLs listed securities. The commencement of any suspension or delisting procedures
by either exchange remains, at all times, at the discretion of such exchange. 47




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Evolution of Nortels supply chain strategyOn June 29, 2004, Nortel announced an agreement with Flextronics International Ltd.
(Flextronics), regarding the divestiture of substantially all of Nortels remaining
manufacturing operations, including product integration, testing and repair operations carried
out in Nortels Systems Houses in Calgary and Montreal, Canada and Campinas, Brazil, as well as
certain activities related to these locations, including the management of the supply chain,
related suppliers, and third-party logistics. In Europe, Flextronics has made an offer to
purchase similar operations at Nortels Monkstown, Northern Ireland and Chateaudun, France
Systems Houses, subject to the completion of the required information and consultation process.Under the terms of the agreement and offer, Flextronics will also acquire Nortels global repair
services, as well as certain design assets in Ottawa and Monkstown related to hardware and
embedded software design, and related product verification for certain established optical
products.Nortel and Flextronics have entered into a four year supply agreement for manufacturing services
(whereby Flextronics will manage approximately $2,500 of Nortels annual cost of sales) and a
three year supply agreement for design services. The portion of the transaction related to the
optical design activities in Ottawa and Monkstown was completed on November 1, 2004. On
February 8, 2005, Nortel announced the completion of the portion of the transaction related to
the manufacturing activities in Montreal. Nortel previously reported that the portion of the transaction related to the
manufacturing activities in Calgary is expected to close in the second quarter of 2005 and that the
balance of the transaction is expected to close on separate dates occurring during the first
half of 2005. Nortel and Flextronics are currently discussing the timing of the remaining transactions in order to optimize the business transition between the companies. These transactions are subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.The successful completion of the agreement and offer with Flextronics will result in the
transfer of approximately 2,500 employees from Nortel to Flextronics. Nortel expects to receive
cash proceeds ranging from approximately $675 to $725, which will be allocated to each separate
closing and, with respect to each closing, will be paid on an installment basis up to nine
months thereafter. Such payments will be subject to a number of adjustments, including
potential post-closing date asset valuations and potential post-closing indemnity payments.
Flextronics also has the ability in certain cases to exercise rights to sell back to Nortel
certain inventory and equipment after the expiration of a specified period (of up to fifteen
months) following each respective closing date. Nortel does not expect such rights to be
exercised with respect to any material amount of inventory and/or equipment. The cash proceeds
estimate is comprised of approximately $475 to $525 for inventory and equipment and $200 for
intangible assets. The cash proceeds would be partially offset by related estimated transaction
costs (including transition, potential severance, and information technology implementation and
real estate costs) of approximately $200.As a result of the proposed sale of the Northern Ireland Systems House to Flextronics, Nortel
has determined that it is probable that certain grants received from government agencies related
to employment achievement targets will have to be repaid. The total grants received which could
be subject to repayment is approximately $35 of which Nortel expects to have to make repayments
of $11.OtherOn October 26, 2004, Nortel entered into an agreement with Foundry Networks, Inc.
(Foundry) to settle outstanding patent infringement claims and counterclaims by the parties.
As part of the settlement, Nortel granted Foundry a four year license under certain patents, and
Foundry paid $35 to Nortel. Nortel recorded a gain of approximately $8 in the fourth quarter of
2004 in other income (expense)  net related to a past infringement, the remaining gain of $27 represents prepaid future royalties to be
recognized ratably over four years.On December 15 and 16, 2004, Nortel sold certain notes receivable and convertible notes
receivable that had been received as a result of the restructuring of a customer financing
arrangement for cash proceeds of $116. The net carrying amount of the notes receivable and
convertible notes receivable was $61.On December 23, 2004, a customer financing arrangement was restructured. The notes receivable
that were restructured had a net carrying amount as of December 31, 2003 of $13, net of
provisions for doubtful accounts of $147 ($55 of the provision is included in discontinued
operations). The restructured notes were valued at $96 and a gain of $51 ($23 of the gain is
included in discontinued operations) has been recorded in the fourth quarter of 2004. On
January 25, 2005, Nortel sold this receivable for cash proceeds of $110.On January 20, 2005, Nortel signed a Joint Venture Framework Agreement with China Putian
Corporation to establish a joint venture for R&D, manufacture and sale of third generation (3G)
mobile telecommunications equipment and 48




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products to customers in China. Nortel expects to have a definitive joint venture agreement by
June 30, 2005. Nortel anticipates that it will own 49% of the joint venture and China Putian
will own 51%.On January 23, 2005, Nortel signed a Memorandum of Understanding with LG Electronics to
establish a joint venture for providing high quality, leading edge telecommunications equipment
and networking solutions to Korea and other markets globally. The proposed joint venture is
subject to execution of a definitive agreement. Nortel expects to complete this transaction in
the second quarter of 2005. In the proposed joint venture, Nortel anticipates that it will have
50% plus one share.21.
    
    Reconciliation from U.S. GAAP to Canadian GAAPNew Canadian securities regulations allow issuers that are required to file reports with
the SEC, upon meeting certain conditions, to satisfy their Canadian continuous disclosure
obligations by using financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Accordingly,
for fiscal 2004 and 2005, Nortel will include in the notes to its
consolidated financial statements a reconciliation highlighting the material differences between
its financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP as compared to financial
statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in Canada
(Canadian GAAP). Subsequent to 2005, no further interim reconciliation will be required under
current Canadian securities regulations. Prior to 2004, Nortel prepared interim financial
statements (with accompanying notes) and Managements Discussion and Analysis  Canadian
Supplement in accordance with Canadian GAAP, all of which were presented as a separate report
and filed with the relevant Canadian securities regulators in compliance with its Canadian
continuous disclosure obligations.The consolidated financial statements of Nortel have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP
and the accounting rules and regulations of the SEC which differ in certain material respects
from those principles and practices that Nortel would have followed had its consolidated
financial statements been prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP. The following is a
reconciliation of the net earnings (loss) between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003: Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003As restated *
    
    
    
    
    
    As restated *Net earnings (loss)U. S. GAAP
    
    $
    (259
    )
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    (184
    )
    
    $
    (94
    )Deferred stock option compensation (a)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    16Derivative accounting (b)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    22
    
    
    
    (14
    )Financial instruments (c)
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    (49
    )
    
    
    (47
    )Cumulative effect of accounting
change  net of tax (d)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    12Other
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    16
    
    
    
    (36
    )Canadian GAAP
    
    $
    (266
    )
    
    $
    111
    
    
    $
    (195
    )
    
    $
    (163
    )
 *
    
    See note 21(j). 49




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The following details the material differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP for
balance sheet information as of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003: September 30, 2004
    
    
    December 31, 2003U.S.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Canadian
    
    
    U.S.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    CanadianGAAP
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    GAAP
    
    
    GAAP
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    GAAPASSETSCurrent assets (h)
    
    $
    7,698
    
    
    $
    7
    
    
    $
    7,705
    
    
    $
    8,529
    
    
    $
    3
    
    
    $
    8,532Investments (e)
    
    
    170
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    170
    
    
    
    244
    
    
    
    (105
    )
    
    
    139Plant and equipment  net
    
    
    1,591
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    1,590
    
    
    
    1,656
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    1,651Goodwill (a)
    
    
    2,304
    
    
    
    (909
    )
    
    
    1,395
    
    
    
    2,305
    
    
    
    (910
    )
    
    
    1,395Intangible assets  net(i)
    
    
    79
    
    
    
    (41
    )
    
    
    38
    
    
    
    86
    
    
    
    (41
    )
    
    
    45Deferred income taxes  net(i)
    
    
    3,610
    
    
    
    (198
    )
    
    
    3,412
    
    
    
    3,397
    
    
    
    (197
    )
    
    
    3,200Other assets (b) (i)
    
    
    337
    
    
    
    (25
    )
    
    
    312
    
    
    
    374
    
    
    
    25
    
    
    
    399Total assets
    
    $
    15,789
    
    
    $
    (1,167
    )
    
    $
    14,622
    
    
    $
    16,591
    
    
    $
    (1,230
    )
    
    $
    15,361LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCurrent liabilities (g) (h)
    
    $
    4,462
    
    
    $
    6
    
    
    $
    4,468
    
    
    $
    5,002
    
    
    $
    5
    
    
    $
    5,007Long-term debt (b) (c)
    
    
    3,862
    
    
    
    (309
    )
    
    
    3,553
    
    
    
    3,891
    
    
    
    (382
    )
    
    
    3,509Deferred income taxes  net (i)
    
    
    170
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    178
    
    
    
    191
    
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    204Other liabilities (b) (i)
    
    
    2,938
    
    
    
    (1,225
    )
    
    
    1,713
    
    
    
    2,945
    
    
    
    (1,154
    )
    
    
    1,791Total liabilities
    
    
    11,432
    
    
    
    (1,520
    )
    
    
    9,912
    
    
    
    12,029
    
    
    
    (1,518
    )
    
    
    10,511Minority interests in subsidiary companies
    
    
    619
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    619
    
    
    
    617
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    617Total shareholders equity(c) (e) (g) (i)
    
    
    3,738
    
    
    
    353
    
    
    
    4,091
    
    
    
    3,945
    
    
    
    288
    
    
    
    4,233Total liabilities and shareholders equity
    
    $
    15,789
    
    
    $
    (1,167
    )
    
    $
    14,622
    
    
    $
    16,591
    
    
    $
    (1,230
    )
    
    $
    15,361
  The significant differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP that impact the
consolidated financial statements of Nortel include the following:  (a)
    
    Business combinationsAll of Nortels business combinations have been accounted for using the purchase
method. Until June 30, 2001, under Canadian GAAP, when common share consideration was
involved, the purchase price of Nortel acquisitions was determined based on the average
trading price per Nortel Networks Corporation common share for a reasonable period before
and after the date the transaction was closed. Under U.S. GAAP, when common share
consideration was involved, the purchase price of the acquisitions was determined based on
the average price per Nortel Networks Corporation common share for a reasonable period
before and after the date the acquisition was announced or the date on which the exchange
ratio became fixed. After June 30, 2001, treatment under Canadian GAAP was the same as
under U.S. GAAP for measurement of share consideration. As a result of the difference
between Canadian GAAP and U.S. GAAP until June 30, 2001, the value of purchase price
consideration assigned to acquisitions may have varied significantly depending on the length
of time between the announcement date and the closing date of the transaction and the
volatility of Nortel Networks Corporation common share price within that time frame.Stock options assumed on acquisitions were recorded at fair value for acquisitions on or
after July 1, 2000 under U.S. GAAP, and for acquisitions on or after July 1, 2001 under
Canadian GAAP. Beginning with acquisitions completed subsequent to July 1, 2000, U.S. GAAP
requires an allocation of a portion of the purchase price to deferred compensation related
to the intrinsic value of unvested options held by employees of the companies acquired. The
deferred compensation is amortized to net earnings (loss) based on the remaining vesting
period of the option awards. With the adoption of the Canadian Institute of Chartered
Accountants (CICA) Handbook Section 3870, Stock-based Compensation and Other Stock-based
Payments, on January 1, 2002, unearned compensation is recorded on unvested options held by
employees of acquired companies. Previously, there was no requirement to record deferred
compensation in respect of such unvested options under Canadian GAAP. Nortel has not
completed any acquisitions subsequent to January 1, 2002. The difference in accounting for
options assumed or issued to the value ascribed under U.S. GAAP as part of acquisitions discussed above can
result in a different balance being ascribed to goodwill under U.S. GAAP.The potential differences in the initial measurement of goodwill in business combinations
under Canadian GAAP and U.S. GAAP may result in a difference in the amount of any subsequent
goodwill impairment charge. Effective January 1, 2002, under both U.S. GAAP and Canadian
GAAP, the method used in accounting for goodwill changed 50




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from an amortization method to an
impairment only method, thereby eliminating any impact on net earnings (loss) due to the
amortization of different amounts of goodwill during these periods.(b)
    
    Derivative accountingUnder U.S. GAAP, effective January 1, 2001, Nortel adopted SFAS 133, which was
subsequently amended by SFAS No. 138, Accounting for Certain Derivative Instruments and
Certain Hedging Activities  an Amendment of SFAS No. 133, and SFAS No. 149, Amendment of
Statement 133 on Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities. Under Canadian GAAP, gains
and losses on derivatives that are designated as hedges and that manage the underlying risks
of anticipated transactions are not recorded until the underlying hedged item is recorded in
net earnings (loss) and hedge ineffectiveness is not recorded until settlement. Under U.S.
GAAP, the accounting for changes in the fair value of a derivative depends on the intended
use of the derivative and the resulting designation. For fair value hedges, changes in the
fair value of the derivative and of the hedged item attributable to the hedged risk are
reported in net earnings (loss) from continuing operations immediately. For cash flow
hedges, the effective portion of the gains or losses is reported as a component of other
comprehensive income (loss) and the ineffective portion is reported in net earnings (loss)
from continuing operations immediately. Foreign currency hedges can fall into either fair
value hedges or cash flow hedges and are accounted for accordingly.Under U.S. GAAP, an embedded derivative is accounted for at fair value separate from the
host contract when certain specified conditions are met. Under Canadian GAAP, embedded
derivatives are not accounted for separately from the host contract.Effective January 1, 2004, Nortel adopted Accounting Guideline 13, Hedging Relationships
(AcG-13), which establishes specific criteria for derivatives to qualify for hedge
accounting. Nortel had been previously applying these criteria under U.S. GAAP, therefore,
there was no impact on adoption of AcG-13.Concurrent with the adoption of AcG-13, Nortel also adopted the CICAs Emerging Issues
Committee (EIC) 128, Accounting for Trading, Speculative or Non-Hedging Derivative
Financial Instruments (EIC 128), which requires that certain freestanding derivative
instruments that give rise to a financial asset or liability, and do not qualify for hedge
accounting under AcG-13, be recognized on the balance sheet and measured at fair value, with
changes in fair value recognized in earnings (loss) in each period. As a result of the
adoption of EIC 128, certain warrants, which had been previously recorded at cost under
Canadian GAAP, are required to be recorded at fair value consistent with U.S. GAAP. The
impact of this accounting change, which has been recorded prospectively as at January 1,
2004, was an increase to investments and other income of $23 during the nine months ended
September 30, 2004. Also as a result of this change, beginning
in the second quarter of 2004, Nortel has no significant differences
between U.S. and Canadian GAAP for its derivative accounting.(c)
    
    Financial instrumentsUnder Canadian GAAP, a financial instrument that contains both a liability and equity
component must be allocated to those components based on fair value. As a result, the
$1,800 proceeds on the 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes issued on August 15, 2001, convertible
at the holders option into Nortel Networks Corporation common shares, were allocated based
on the fair value of the debt component calculated at $1,325, with the residual of $475
being assigned to the equity component. Under Canadian GAAP, the debt component is accreted
to the face value of the 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes over their seven year term, with the
resulting charge recorded in interest expense. Under U.S. GAAP, such instruments are not
broken out into their component parts but rather are reported as the type of instrument of
which they are principally comprised. Therefore the 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes are
reported as debt under U.S. GAAP.(d)
    
    Asset retirement obligationsUnder U.S. GAAP, Nortel adopted SFAS 143 effective January 1, 2003, and recorded a
cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax within net earnings (loss) on the date of
adoption. Nortel adopted similar Canadian guidance, CICA Handbook Section 3110, Asset
Retirement Obligations, effective January 1, 2004, with
retroactive restatement of prior periods. Under Canadian GAAP, the cumulative effect of
adoption as of January 1, 2003 was recorded as an adjustment to opening accumulated deficit,
as opposed to an adjustment within net earnings (loss) under U.S. GAAP, resulting in a
difference of $12. 51




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(e)
    
    InvestmentsUnder U.S. GAAP, certain investment securities deemed available-for-sale by Nortel are
remeasured to fair value each period, with unrealized holding gains (losses) included in
other comprehensive income (loss) until realized. Under Canadian GAAP, these investments
are recorded at historical cost unless a loss, that is considered other than temporary,
occurs.(f)
    
    Other financial statement presentation differencesUnder Canadian GAAP, global investment tax credits are required to be deducted from R&D
expense while under U.S. GAAP, these amounts are required to be deducted from the income tax
benefit (expense). The impact of this difference in the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2004 of $10and $35, respectively, and in the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2003 of $9 and $28, respectively, was to increase or decrease net
earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes, non-controlling interests
and equity in net loss of associated companies under Canadian GAAP, with a corresponding
increase or decrease in income tax benefit (expense).Under Canadian GAAP, Nortel is required to present a consolidated statement of cash flows
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, whereas under U.S. GAAP, a
consolidated statement of cash flows is only required for the nine months ended September
30, 2004 and 2003. The following table presents consolidated statement of cash flows data
for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003 prepared in accordance with
Canadian GAAP. There are no significant differences between U.S. and Canadian GAAP that
impact the consolidated statement of cash flows. Three months ended September 30,
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Net cash from (used in) operating activities
of continuing operations
    
    $
    (232
    )
    
    $
    (448
    )
    
    $
    (465
    )
    
    $
    (238
    )Net cash from (used in) investing activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    (82
    )
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (85
    )Net cash from (used in) financing activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    (31
    )
    
    
    (208
    )
    
    
    (108
    )
    
    
    (339
    )Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on
cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    97Net cash from (used in) continuing operations
    
    
    (342
    )
    
    
    (685
    )
    
    
    (627
    )
    
    
    (565
    )Net cash from (used in) discontinued operations
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    50
    
    
    
    21
    
    
    
    343Net increase (decrease) in
cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    (318
    )
    
    
    (635
    )
    
    
    (606
    )
    
    
    (222
    )Cash and cash equivalents
at beginning of period
    
    
    3,713
    
    
    
    4,206
    
    
    
    4,001
    
    
    
    3,793Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
    
    $
    3,395
    
    
    $
    3,571
    
    
    $
    3,395
    
    
    $
    3,571
  (g)
    
    OtherUnder U.S. GAAP, effective December 31, 2002, Nortel adopted the disclosure
requirements of FIN 45. In addition, effective January 1, 2003, Nortel adopted the initial
recognition and measurement provisions of FIN 45 that require a guarantor to recognize, at
the inception of certain types of guarantees, a liability for the estimated fair value of
the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. The recognition requirements of FIN 45
are applicable for certain guarantees issued or modified after December 31, 2002. Under
Canadian GAAP, there is no requirement to recognize a liability for the estimated fair value
of the obligation undertaken in issuing the guarantee. However, a contingent loss that is
likely to be incurred is recognized if it can be reasonably estimated.Under U.S. GAAP, effective January 1, 2003, Nortel adopted SFAS 146. SFAS 146 requires that
costs associated with an exit or disposal activity be recognized when the liability is
incurred. Under Canadian GAAP, the Emerging Issues Committee (EIC) of the CICA issued EIC
134, Accounting for Severance and Termination Benefits (EIC 134), and EIC 135,
Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit and Disposal Activities (Including Costs Incurred
in a Restructuring) ( EIC 135), which harmonize the requirements with SFAS 146.
Effective March 31, 2003, Nortel adopted EIC 134 and EIC 135. 52




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Under U.S. GAAP, translation adjustments for self-sustaining subsidiaries are reported as a
component of other comprehensive income (loss), whereas, under Canadian GAAP, these
translation adjustments are classified as foreign currency translation adjustment, also a
component of shareholders equity.(h)
    
    Joint venturesNortel has a number of joint ventures with other parties. Under U.S. GAAP, investments
in joint ventures are accounted for under the equity method, whereas under Canadian GAAP,
the proportionate consolidation method is used. The difference in accounting does not
impact net earnings (loss), but does impact certain other consolidated financial statement
items.(i)
    
    Pension and other post-retirement benefitsUnder U.S. GAAP, a minimum additional pension liability must be recognized in the
amount of the excess of the unfunded accumulated benefit obligation over the recorded
pension benefit liability. An offsetting intangible pension asset is recorded equal to the
unrecognized prior service costs, with any difference recorded in accumulated other
comprehensive loss. No such adjustments are required under Canadian GAAP. 53




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##### Table of Contents



(j)
    
    RestatementAs described in note 2, Nortel has restated its consolidated financial statements for
the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, and the quarters ended March 31, June 30, and
September 30, 2003. The following table presents the impact of the Second Restatement
adjustments on Nortels previously reported consolidated statement of operations for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP:  Consolidated Statements of Operations Three months ended September 30, 2003
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30, 2003As previously
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    As previouslyreported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restated
    
    
    reported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restatedRevenues
    
    $
    2,266
    
    
    $
    78
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    6,981
    
    
    $
    (53
    )
    
    $
    6,928Cost of revenues
    
    
    1,072
    
    
    
    143
    
    
    
    1,215
    
    
    
    3,713
    
    
    
    308
    
    
    
    4,021Gross profit
    
    
    1,194
    
    
    
    (65
    )
    
    
    1,129
    
    
    
    3,268
    
    
    
    (361
    )
    
    
    2,907Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    489
    
    
    
    33
    
    
    
    522
    
    
    
    1,423
    
    
    
    44
    
    
    
    1,467Research and development expense
    
    
    475
    
    
    
    (25
    )
    
    
    450
    
    
    
    1,447
    
    
    
    (32
    )
    
    
    1,415Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    98
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    98Special charges
    
    
    70
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    80
    
    
    
    184
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    202(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (28
    )
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    (9
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    148
    
    
    
    (86
    )
    
    
    62
    
    
    
    144
    
    
    
    (410
    )
    
    
    (266
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    100
    
    
    
    41
    
    
    
    141
    
    
    
    115
    
    
    
    166
    
    
    
    281Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (62
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (62
    )
    
    
    (185
    )
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    (184
    )Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    (22
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before
income taxes, minority interests and equity in net
loss of associated companies
    
    
    186
    
    
    
    (53
    )
    
    
    133
    
    
    
    64
    
    
    
    (255
    )
    
    
    (191
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    (42
    )
    
    
    (33
    )
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    (39
    )150
    
    
    
    (59
    )
    
    
    91
    
    
    
    31
    
    
    
    (261
    )
    
    
    (230
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    (52
    )Equity in net loss of associated
companies  net of tax
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    (35
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (38
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    125
    
    
    
    (57
    )
    
    
    68
    
    
    
    (40
    )
    
    
    (280
    )
    
    
    (320
    )Net earnings (loss) from discontinued
operations  net of tax
    
    
    55
    
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    43
    
    
    
    244
    
    
    
    (87
    )
    
    
    157Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    180
    
    
    $
    (69
    )
    
    $
    111
    
    
    $
    204
    
    
    $
    (367
    )
    
    $
    (163
    )Basic and
diluted earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.02
    )
    
    $
    0.01
    
    
    $
    (0.02
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    (0.08
    ) from discontinued operations
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.06
    
    
    
    (0.02
    )
    
    
    0.04Basic and diluted earnings (loss)
per common share
    
    $
    0.04
    
    
    $
    (0.02
    )
    
    $
    0.02
    
    
    $
    0.04
    
    
    $
    (0.08
    )
    
    $
    (0.04
    )
  The impact of the Second Restatement adjustments for the three months ended September
30, 2003 was a decrease to net earnings prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP and U.S.
GAAP of $69 and $54, respectively and for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 was an
increase to net loss prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP and U.S. GAAP of $367 and
$327, respectively. The Second Restatement adjustments primarily related to the following
items, each of which reflect a number of related adjustments that have been aggregated for
disclosure purposes: revenues and cost of revenues; foreign exchange; intercompany balances;
special charges; other; reclassifications; and discontinued operations. See note 2 for a
description of these differences. The impact of the Second
Restatement adjustments was different
under Canadian GAAP primarily because of adjustments to deferred stock option compensation
under US GAAP. As described above (note 21(a)), there was no
requirement to record deferred compensation under
Canadian GAAP. 54




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##### Table of Contents



The following table presents the impact of the Second Restatement adjustments on Nortels
previously reported consolidated balance sheet prepared in accordance with Canadian GAAP as of
September 30, 2003: As previouslyreported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restatedASSETSCurrent assetsCash and cash equivalents
    
    $
    3,570
    
    
    $
    1
    
    
    $
    3,571Restricted cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    113
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    113Accounts receivable  net
    
    
    2,065
    
    
    
    (36
    )
    
    
    2,029Inventories  net
    
    
    928
    
    
    
    500
    
    
    
    1,428Income taxes recoverable
    
    
    63
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    68Future income taxes  net
    
    
    415
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    415Other current assets
    
    
    420
    
    
    
    (15
    )
    
    
    405Total current assets
    
    
    7,574
    
    
    
    455
    
    
    
    8,029Investments
    
    
    110
    
    
    
    41
    
    
    
    151Plant and equipment  net
    
    
    1,467
    
    
    
    196
    
    
    
    1,663Goodwill
    
    
    1,323
    
    
    
    48
    
    
    
    1,371Intangible assets  net
    
    
    45
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    45Future income taxes  net
    
    
    3,079
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    3,074Other assets
    
    
    445
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    444Total assets
    
    $
    14,043
    
    
    $
    734
    
    
    $
    14,777LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCurrent liabilitiesNotes payable
    
    $
    23
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    23Trade and other accounts payable
    
    
    759
    
    
    
    (50
    )
    
    
    709Payroll and benefit-related liabilities
    
    
    708
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    740Contractual liabilities
    
    
    769
    
    
    
    (165
    )
    
    
    604Restructuring liabilities
    
    
    276
    
    
    
    (64
    )
    
    
    212Other accrued liabilities
    
    
    2,303
    
    
    
    411
    
    
    
    2,714Long-term debt due within one year
    
    
    112
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    119Total current liabilities
    
    
    4,950
    
    
    
    171
    
    
    
    5,121Long-term debt
    
    
    3,364
    
    
    
    125
    
    
    
    3,489Future income taxes  net
    
    
    292
    
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    268Other liabilities
    
    
    1,421
    
    
    
    368
    
    
    
    1,789Total liabilities
    
    
    10,027
    
    
    
    640
    
    
    
    10,667Non-controlling interests in subsidiary companies
    
    
    613
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    621SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCommon shares, without par value
    
    
    32,955
    
    
    
    (349
    )
    
    
    32,606Contributed surplus
    
    
    2,453
    
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    2,468Deficit
    
    
    (32,631
    )
    
    
    57
    
    
    
    (32,574
    )Foreign currency translation adjustment
    
    
    (329
    )
    
    
    360
    
    
    
    31Equity component of convertible senior notes
    
    
    475
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    475Prepaid forward purchase contracts
    
    
    480
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    483Total shareholders equity
    
    
    3,403
    
    
    
    86
    
    
    
    3,489Total liabilities and shareholders equity
    
    $
    14,043
    
    
    $
    734
    
    
    $
    14,777
 55




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##### Table of Contents



22.
    
    Supplemental consolidating financial informationAs of September 30, 2004, and as a result of NNLs credit ratings, various liens, pledges
and guarantees were effective under security agreements entered into by NNL and various of its
subsidiaries (see note 10).The security agreements were originally entered into in connection with the $1,510 December 2001
364-day credit facilities (which expired on December 13, 2002). The security became effective
April 4, 2002, following Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys) downgrade of NNLs senior
long-term debt rating to below investment grade, in respect of the then existing credit
facilities including the Five Year Facilities. Consequently, on April 4, 2002 and in accordance
with the negative pledge covenants in the indentures for all Nortels outstanding public debt
securities, all such public debt securities became, under the terms of the security agreements,
secured equally and ratably with the obligations under NNLs and NNIs then existing credit
facilities. NNLs obligations under the EDC Support Facility became secured on an equal and
ratable basis under the security agreements on February 14, 2003.As a result of NNL terminating the Five Year Facilities (see note 10), certain foreign security
agreements entered into by NNL and various of its subsidiaries under which shares of certain
subsidiaries of NNL incorporated outside of the U.S. and Canada were pledged in favor of the
banks under the Five Year Facilities, EDC and the holders of Nortel and NNLs outstanding public
debt securities also terminated in accordance with their terms. In addition, guarantees by
certain subsidiaries of NNL incorporated outside of the U.S. and Canada terminated in accordance
with their terms. As of September 30, 2004, the security agreements pledge substantially all of
the assets of NNL located in the U.S. and Canada and those of most of its U.S. and Canadian
subsidiaries, including the shares of certain of NNLs U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries, in favor
of EDC and the holders of Nortels and NNLs outstanding public debt securities (see note 10).
In addition, certain of NNLs wholly owned subsidiaries, including NNI, most of NNLs Canadian
subsidiaries, Nortel Networks (Asia) Limited, Nortel Networks (Ireland) Limited and Nortel
Networks U.K. Limited, have guaranteed NNLs obligations under the EDC Support Facility and
Nortels and NNLs outstanding public debt securities (the Guarantor Subsidiaries).
Non-guarantor subsidiaries (the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries) represented either wholly owned
subsidiaries of NNL whose shares were pledged, or were the remaining subsidiaries of NNL which
did not provide liens, pledges or guarantees.If NNLs senior long-term debt rating by Moodys returns to Baa2 (with a stable outlook) and its
rating by Standard & Poors returns to BBB (with a stable outlook), the security and guarantees
will be released in full. If the EDC Support Facility is terminated or expires, the security
and guarantees will also be released in full. NNL may provide EDC with cash collateral in an
amount equal to the total amount of its outstanding obligations and undrawn commitments and
expenses under the EDC Support Facility (or any other alternative collateral or arrangements
acceptable to EDC) in lieu of the security provided under the security agreements. Accordingly,
if the EDC Support Facility is secured by cash or other alternate collateral or arrangements
acceptable to EDC, the security and guarantees will also be released in full.The following supplemental consolidating financial data illustrates, in separate columns, the
composition (as described below) of Nortel Networks Corporation, NNL, the Guarantor
Subsidiaries, the Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries, eliminations and the consolidated total as of
September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, and for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2004 and 2003, respectively.Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for using the equity method for purposes of the
supplemental consolidating financial data. Net earnings (loss) of subsidiaries are therefore
reflected in the investment account and net earnings (loss). The principal elimination entries
eliminate investments in subsidiaries and intercompany balances and transactions. The financial
data may not necessarily be indicative of the results of operations or financial position had
the subsidiaries been operating as independent entities. 56




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30, 2004: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalRevenues
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    779
    
    
    $
    1,592
    
    
    $
    709
    
    
    $
    (901
    )
    
    $
    2,179Cost of revenues
    
    
    
    
    
    
    640
    
    
    
    1,133
    
    
    
    521
    
    
    
    (901
    )
    
    
    1,393Gross profit
    
    
    
    
    
    
    139
    
    
    
    459
    
    
    
    188
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    786Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    114
    
    
    
    312
    
    
    
    86
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    512Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    174
    
    
    
    258
    
    
    
    69
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    501Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Special charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    82
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    93(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (37
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (39
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (151
    )
    
    
    (156
    )
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (283
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    
    17
    
    
    
    59
    
    
    
    (25
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    44Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (21
    )
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (45
    )Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (3
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before
income taxes, minority interests and equity in
net loss of associated companies
    
    
    (28
    )
    
    
    (152
    )
    
    
    (110
    )
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (287
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    30(28
    )
    
    
    (150
    )
    
    
    (101
    )
    
    
    22
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (257
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (7
    )Equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax
    
    
    (236
    )
    
    
    (73
    )
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    291
    
    
    
    Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    (264
    )
    
    
    (223
    )
    
    
    (102
    )
    
    
    42
    
    
    
    283
    
    
    
    (264
    )Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    5Net earnings (loss) before cumulative effect of
accounting change
    
    
    (259
    )
    
    
    (218
    )
    
    
    (99
    )
    
    
    42
    
    
    
    275
    
    
    
    (259
    )Cumulative effect of accounting change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    (259
    )
    
    $
    (218
    )
    
    $
    (99
    )
    
    $
    42
    
    
    $
    275
    
    
    $
    (259
    )
 57




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Statements of Operations for the three months ended September 30,
2003: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalRevenues
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    569
    
    
    $
    1,723
    
    
    $
    868
    
    
    $
    (816
    )
    
    $
    2,344Cost of revenues
    
    
    
    
    
    
    415
    
    
    
    960
    
    
    
    655
    
    
    
    (816
    )
    
    
    1,214Gross profit
    
    
    
    
    
    
    154
    
    
    
    763
    
    
    
    213
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,130Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    78
    
    
    
    258
    
    
    
    191
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    527Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    198
    
    
    
    186
    
    
    
    71
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    455Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1Special charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (37
    )
    
    
    111
    
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    80(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (19
    )
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (17
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (85
    )
    
    
    227
    
    
    
    (90
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    52Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    114
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    148Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (21
    )
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (45
    )Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before
income taxes, minority interests and equity in
net loss of associated companies
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (96
    )
    
    
    232
    
    
    
    28
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    147Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    159
    
    
    
    (190
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (36
    )(22
    )
    
    
    (96
    )
    
    
    391
    
    
    
    (162
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    111Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    (10
    )Equity in
net loss of associated companies  net of tax
    
    
    110
    
    
    
    229
    
    
    
    (325
    )
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    (21
    )
    
    
    (13
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    133
    
    
    
    66
    
    
    
    (169
    )
    
    
    (30
    )
    
    
    88Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    43
    
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    20
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    (63
    )
    
    
    43Net earnings (loss) before cumulative effect of
accounting change
    
    
    131
    
    
    
    165
    
    
    
    86
    
    
    
    (158
    )
    
    
    (93
    )
    
    
    131Cumulative effect of accounting change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    165
    
    
    $
    86
    
    
    $
    (158
    )
    
    $
    (93
    )
    
    $
    131
 58




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30,
2004: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalRevenues
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    2,443
    
    
    $
    5,073
    
    
    $
    2,533
    
    
    $
    (2,836
    )
    
    $
    7,213Cost of revenues
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,648
    
    
    
    3,488
    
    
    
    2,019
    
    
    
    (2,836
    )
    
    
    4,319Gross profit
    
    
    
    
    
    
    795
    
    
    
    1,585
    
    
    
    514
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,894Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    327
    
    
    
    956
    
    
    
    313
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,596Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    598
    
    
    
    649
    
    
    
    218
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,465Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    7Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Special charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    78
    
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    99(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (38
    )
    
    
    (74
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (114
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (136
    )
    
    
    (60
    )
    
    
    37
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (159
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    32
    
    
    
    140
    
    
    
    (52
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    112Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (63
    )
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (132
    )Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (50
    )
    
    
    35
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (18
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before
income taxes, minority interests and equity in
net loss of associated companies
    
    
    (71
    )
    
    
    (155
    )
    
    
    29
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (197
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    48
    
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    32(71
    )
    
    
    (107
    )
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (165
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    (29
    )Equity in
net loss of associated companies  net of tax
    
    
    (125
    )
    
    
    48
    
    
    
    173
    
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    (111
    )
    
    
    (2
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    (196
    )
    
    
    (59
    )
    
    
    185
    
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    (135
    )
    
    
    (196
    )Net earnings
(loss) from discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (19
    )
    
    
    12Net earnings (loss) before cumulative effect of
accounting change
    
    
    (184
    )
    
    
    (47
    )
    
    
    192
    
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    (154
    )
    
    
    (184
    )Cumulative
effect of accounting change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    (184
    )
    
    $
    (47
    )
    
    $
    192
    
    
    $
    9
    
    
    $
    (154
    )
    
    $
    (184
    )
 59




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Statements of Operations for the nine months ended September 30,
2003: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalRevenues
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    2,192
    
    
    $
    4,986
    
    
    $
    2,366
    
    
    $
    (2,617
    )
    
    $
    6,927Cost of revenues
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,367
    
    
    
    3,505
    
    
    
    1,765
    
    
    
    (2,617
    )
    
    
    4,020Gross profit
    
    
    
    
    
    
    825
    
    
    
    1,481
    
    
    
    601
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,907Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    307
    
    
    
    868
    
    
    
    283
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,458Research and development expense
    
    
    
    
    
    
    600
    
    
    
    618
    
    
    
    222
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,440Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    98
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    98Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    16
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    16Special charges
    
    
    
    
    
    
    27
    
    
    
    171
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    198(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (6
    )Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (111
    )
    
    
    (170
    )
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (297
    )Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    180
    
    
    
    171
    
    
    
    (62
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    302Interest expenseLong-term debt
    
    
    (63
    )
    
    
    (52
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (19
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (136
    )Other
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (47
    )
    
    
    27
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (22
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before
income taxes, minority interests and equity in
net loss of associated companies
    
    
    (50
    )
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (70
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (153
    )Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    161
    
    
    
    (139
    )
    
    
    (23
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4(45
    )
    
    
    176
    
    
    
    (187
    )
    
    
    (93
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (149
    )Minority interests  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    (52
    )Equity in
net loss of associated companies  net of tax
    
    
    (206
    )
    
    
    (256
    )
    
    
    (654
    )
    
    
    (60
    )
    
    
    1,138
    
    
    
    (38
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    (251
    )
    
    
    (80
    )
    
    
    (841
    )
    
    
    (179
    )
    
    
    1,112
    
    
    
    (239
    )Net earnings
(loss) from discontinued operations  net of tax
    
    
    157
    
    
    
    157
    
    
    
    101
    
    
    
    22
    
    
    
    (280
    )
    
    
    157Net earnings (loss) before cumulative effect of
accounting change
    
    
    (94
    )
    
    
    77
    
    
    
    (740
    )
    
    
    (157
    )
    
    
    832
    
    
    
    (82
    )Cumulative
effect of accounting change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    (94
    )
    
    $
    73
    
    
    $
    (748
    )
    
    $
    (157
    )
    
    $
    832
    
    
    $
    (94
    )
 60




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2004: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalASSETSCurrent assetsCash and cash equivalents
    
    $
    76
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    2,287
    
    
    $
    1,025
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    3,390Restricted cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    
    
    
    
    49
    
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    77Accounts receivable  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    402
    
    
    
    1,121
    
    
    
    611
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,134Intercompany/related party accounts receivable
    
    
    49
    
    
    
    412
    
    
    
    1,092
    
    
    
    955
    
    
    
    (2,508
    )
    
    
    Inventories  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    329
    
    
    
    709
    
    
    
    465
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,503Income taxes recoverable
    
    
    
    
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    29
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    53Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    176
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    229Other current assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    161
    
    
    
    138
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    312Total current assets
    
    
    125
    
    
    
    1,274
    
    
    
    5,575
    
    
    
    3,232
    
    
    
    (2,508
    )
    
    
    7,698Investments
    
    
    5,563
    
    
    
    2,068
    
    
    
    (6,897
    )
    
    
    600
    
    
    
    (1,164
    )
    
    
    170Intercompany advances
    
    
    
    
    
    
    338
    
    
    
    1,092
    
    
    
    1,650
    
    
    
    (3,080
    )
    
    
    Plant and equipment  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    450
    
    
    
    758
    
    
    
    383
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,591Goodwill
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,958
    
    
    
    346
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,304Intangible assets  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    40
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    38
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    79Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,747
    
    
    
    1,793
    
    
    
    70
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3,610Other assets
    
    
    31
    
    
    
    68
    
    
    
    66
    
    
    
    172
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    337Total assets
    
    $
    5,719
    
    
    $
    5,985
    
    
    $
    4,346
    
    
    $
    6,491
    
    
    $
    (6,752
    )
    
    $
    15,789LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCurrent liabilitiesNotes payable
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    3
    
    
    $
    8
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    13Trade and other accounts payable
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    325
    
    
    
    416
    
    
    
    (39
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    703Intercompany/related party accounts payable
    
    
    173
    
    
    
    (3,488
    )
    
    
    3,480
    
    
    
    2,343
    
    
    
    (2,508
    )
    
    
    Payroll and benefit-related liabilities
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    96
    
    
    
    282
    
    
    
    128
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    507Contractual liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    189
    
    
    
    233
    
    
    
    214
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    636Restructuring liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    37
    
    
    
    133
    
    
    
    20
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    190Other accrued liabilities
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    312
    
    
    
    1,446
    
    
    
    636
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,400Long-term debt due within one year
    
    
    
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    13Total current liabilities
    
    
    181
    
    
    
    (2,516
    )
    
    
    6,004
    
    
    
    3,301
    
    
    
    (2,508
    )
    
    
    4,462Long-term debt
    
    
    1,800
    
    
    
    1,525
    
    
    
    123
    
    
    
    414
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3,862Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    131
    
    
    
    34
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    170Other liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    910
    
    
    
    1,795
    
    
    
    234
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    2,938Intercompany advances
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    297
    
    
    
    2,783
    
    
    
    (3,080
    )
    
    
    Total liabilities
    
    
    1,981
    
    
    
    (76
    )
    
    
    8,350
    
    
    
    6,766
    
    
    
    (5,589
    )
    
    
    11,432Minority interests in subsidiary companies
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    83
    
    
    
    536
    
    
    
    619SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYPreferred shares
    
    
    
    
    
    
    536
    
    
    
    237
    
    
    
    47
    
    
    
    (820
    )
    
    
    Common shares
    
    
    33,840
    
    
    
    1,211
    
    
    
    5,417
    
    
    
    2,394
    
    
    
    (9,022
    )
    
    
    33,840Additional paid-in capital
    
    
    3,261
    
    
    
    22,086
    
    
    
    761
    
    
    
    19,693
    
    
    
    (42,540
    )
    
    
    3,261Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    Accumulated deficit
    
    
    (32,716
    )
    
    
    (17,137
    )
    
    
    (11,092
    )
    
    
    (22,684
    )
    
    
    50,913
    
    
    
    (32,716
    )Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
    
    
    (647
    )
    
    
    (635
    )
    
    
    673
    
    
    
    201
    
    
    
    (239
    )
    
    
    (647
    )Total shareholders equity
    
    
    3,738
    
    
    
    6,061
    
    
    
    (4,004
    )
    
    
    (358
    )
    
    
    (1,699
    )
    
    
    3,738Total liabilities and shareholders equity
    
    $
    5,719
    
    
    $
    5,985
    
    
    $
    4,346
    
    
    $
    6,491
    
    
    $
    (6,752
    )
    
    $
    15,789
 61




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2003: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalASSETSCurrent assetsCash and cash equivalents
    
    $
    68
    
    
    $
    (8
    )
    
    $
    2,963
    
    
    $
    974
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    3,997Restricted cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    
    
    
    
    25
    
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    19
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    63Accounts receivable  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    314
    
    
    
    1,462
    
    
    
    729
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,505Intercompany/related party accounts receivable
    
    
    50
    
    
    
    345
    
    
    
    1,017
    
    
    
    1,161
    
    
    
    (2,573
    )
    
    
    Inventories  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    302
    
    
    
    527
    
    
    
    361
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,190Income taxes recoverable
    
    
    
    
    
    
    13
    
    
    
    52
    
    
    
    25
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    90Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    67
    
    
    
    302
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    369Other current assets
    
    
    
    
    
    
    31
    
    
    
    136
    
    
    
    148
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    315Total current assets
    
    
    118
    
    
    
    1,089
    
    
    
    6,478
    
    
    
    3,417
    
    
    
    (2,573
    )
    
    
    8,529Investments
    
    
    5,728
    
    
    
    1,995
    
    
    
    (6,801
    )
    
    
    758
    
    
    
    (1,436
    )
    
    
    244Intercompany advances
    
    
    
    
    
    
    166
    
    
    
    661
    
    
    
    1,595
    
    
    
    (2,422
    )
    
    
    Plant and equipment  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    475
    
    
    
    775
    
    
    
    406
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,656Goodwill
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,956
    
    
    
    349
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,305Intangible assets  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    40
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    45
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    86Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1,673
    
    
    
    1,655
    
    
    
    69
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3,397Other assets
    
    
    37
    
    
    
    102
    
    
    
    39
    
    
    
    196
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    374Total assets
    
    $
    5,883
    
    
    $
    5,540
    
    
    $
    4,764
    
    
    $
    6,835
    
    
    $
    (6,431
    )
    
    $
    16,591LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYCurrent liabilitiesNotes payable
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    3
    
    
    $
    12
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    17Trade and other accounts payable
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    347
    
    
    
    378
    
    
    
    135
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    861Intercompany/related party accounts payable
    
    
    109
    
    
    
    (4,071
    )
    
    
    3,217
    
    
    
    3,318
    
    
    
    (2,573
    )
    
    
    Payroll and benefit-related liabilities
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    137
    
    
    
    449
    
    
    
    176
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    764Contractual liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    26
    
    
    
    272
    
    
    
    232
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    530Restructuring liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    52
    
    
    
    129
    
    
    
    25
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    206Other accrued liabilities
    
    
    26
    
    
    
    356
    
    
    
    1,558
    
    
    
    565
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,505Long-term debt due within one year
    
    
    
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    100
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    119Total current liabilities
    
    
    138
    
    
    
    (3,140
    )
    
    
    6,106
    
    
    
    4,471
    
    
    
    (2,573
    )
    
    
    5,002Long-term debt
    
    
    1,800
    
    
    
    1,549
    
    
    
    127
    
    
    
    415
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3,891Deferred income taxes  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    143
    
    
    
    48
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    191Other liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    930
    
    
    
    1,774
    
    
    
    241
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2,945Intercompany advances
    
    
    
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    297
    
    
    
    2,114
    
    
    
    (2,422
    )
    
    
    Total liabilities
    
    
    1,938
    
    
    
    (650
    )
    
    
    8,447
    
    
    
    7,289
    
    
    
    (4,995
    )
    
    
    12,029Minority interests in subsidiary companies
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    81
    
    
    
    536
    
    
    
    617SHAREHOLDERS EQUITYPreferred shares
    
    
    
    
    
    
    536
    
    
    
    237
    
    
    
    47
    
    
    
    (820
    )
    
    
    Common shares
    
    
    33,674
    
    
    
    1,211
    
    
    
    5,416
    
    
    
    2,382
    
    
    
    (9,009
    )
    
    
    33,674Additional paid-in capital
    
    
    3,341
    
    
    
    22,031
    
    
    
    726
    
    
    
    19,679
    
    
    
    (42,436
    )
    
    
    3,341Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    9
    
    
    
    Accumulated deficit
    
    
    (32,532
    )
    
    
    (17,066
    )
    
    
    (10,838
    )
    
    
    (22,851
    )
    
    
    50,755
    
    
    
    (32,532
    )Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
    
    
    (538
    )
    
    
    (522
    )
    
    
    776
    
    
    
    217
    
    
    
    (471
    )
    
    
    (538
    )Total shareholders equity
    
    
    3,945
    
    
    
    6,190
    
    
    
    (3,683
    )
    
    
    (535
    )
    
    
    (1,972
    )
    
    
    3,945Total liabilities and shareholders equity
    
    $
    5,883
    
    
    $
    5,540
    
    
    $
    4,764
    
    
    $
    6,835
    
    
    $
    (6,431
    )
    
    $
    16,591
 62




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30,
2004: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalCash flows from (used in) operating activitiesNet earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    $
    (196
    )
    
    $
    (59
    )
    
    $
    185
    
    
    $
    9
    
    
    $
    (135
    )
    
    $
    (196
    )Adjustments to reconcile net loss from
continuing operations to net cash from (used in) operating
operating activities, net of effects from
acquisitions and divestitures of businesses:Amortization and depreciation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    31
    
    
    
    132
    
    
    
    97
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    260Non-cash portion of special charges
and related asset write downs
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Equity in net loss of associated companies
    
    
    125
    
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (173
    )
    
    
    (13
    )
    
    
    111
    
    
    
    2Stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    29
    
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    55Deferred income taxes
    
    
    
    
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    
    (19
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (12
    )Other liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    60
    
    
    
    115
    
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    190Gain on repurchases of outstanding debt securities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (Gain) loss on sale or write down of
investments and businesses
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    (76
    )
    
    
    (72
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (147
    )Other  net
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (352
    )
    
    
    29
    
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    (288
    )Change in operating assets and liabilities
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    (333
    )
    
    
    (346
    )
    
    
    374
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (325
    )Intercompany/related party activity
    
    
    57
    
    
    
    340
    
    
    
    (17
    )
    
    
    (380
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Net cash from (used in) operating activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    (23
    )
    
    
    35
    
    
    
    (524
    )
    
    
    51
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (461
    )Cash flows from (used in) investing activitiesExpenditures for plant and equipment
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    (118
    )
    
    
    (56
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (194
    )Proceeds on disposals of plant and equipment
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10Acquisitions of investments and businesses
 net of cash acquired
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (7
    )Proceeds on sale of investments and businesses
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    66
    
    
    
    76
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    143Net cash from (used in) investing activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (16
    )
    
    
    (57
    )
    
    
    25
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (48
    )Cash flows from (used in) financing activitiesDividends on preferred shares
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    Dividends paid by subsidiaries to non controlling interests
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (24
    )
    
    
    (24
    )Increase (decrease) in notes payable  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )Repayments of long-term debt
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (85
    )
    
    
    (22
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (107
    )Repayments of capital leases payable
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (5
    )Issuance of common shares
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    30Net cash from (used in) financing activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    30
    
    
    
    (25
    )
    
    
    (93
    )
    
    
    (20
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (108
    )Effect of foreign exchange rate changes
on cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (6
    )Net cash from (used in) continuing operations
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    (676
    )
    
    
    52
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (623
    )Net cash from (used in) discontinued operations
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    16
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    16Net increase (decrease) in cash and
cash equivalents
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    
    (676
    )
    
    
    51
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (607
    )Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of
period
    
    
    68
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    2,963
    
    
    
    974
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3,997Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
    
    $
    76
    
    
    $
    2
    
    
    $
    2,287
    
    
    $
    1,025
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    3,390
 63




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##### Table of Contents



Supplemental Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30,
2003: Nortel
    
    
    Nortel
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Non-Networks
    
    
    Networks
    
    
    Guarantor
    
    
    Guarantor(millions of U.S. dollars)
    
    Corporation
    
    
    Limited
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Subsidiaries
    
    
    Eliminations
    
    
    TotalCash flows from (used in) operating activitiesNet earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    $
    (251
    )
    
    $
    (80
    )
    
    $
    (841
    )
    
    $
    (179
    )
    
    $
    1,112
    
    
    $
    (239
    )Adjustments to reconcile net loss from continuing
operations to net cash from (used in) operating
activities, net of effects from acquisitions and
divestitures of businesses:Amortization and depreciation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    55
    
    
    
    173
    
    
    
    201
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    429Non-cash portion of special charges
and related asset write downs
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (29
    )
    
    
    114
    
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    87Equity in net loss of associated companies
    
    
    206
    
    
    
    256
    
    
    
    654
    
    
    
    60
    
    
    
    (1,138
    )
    
    
    38Stock option compensation
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    35Deferred income taxes
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    (39
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (17
    )Other liabilities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    68
    
    
    
    28
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    94Gain on repurchase of outstanding debt securities
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (4
    )(Gain) loss on sale or write down of
investments and businesses
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (15
    )
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )Other  net
    
    
    646
    
    
    
    223
    
    
    
    (698
    )
    
    
    (815
    )
    
    
    26
    
    
    
    (618
    )Change in operating assets and liabilities
    
    
    (25
    )
    
    
    441
    
    
    
    384
    
    
    
    (882
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (82
    )Intercompany/related party activity
    
    
    (566
    )
    
    
    (1,020
    )
    
    
    33
    
    
    
    1,553
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Net cash from (used in) operating activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    (102
    )
    
    
    (139
    )
    
    
    (68
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (285
    )Cash flows from (used in) investing activitiesExpenditures for plant and equipment
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (27
    )
    
    
    (37
    )
    
    
    (41
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (105
    )Proceeds on disposals of plant and equipment
    
    
    
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    3
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    22Acquisitions
of investments and businesses  net of cash acquired
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (60
    )
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    12
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (53
    )Proceeds on sale of investments and businesses
    
    
    
    
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    45
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    51Net cash from (used in) investing activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (74
    )
    
    
    15
    
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (85
    )Cash flows from (used in) financing activitiesDividends on preferred shares
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    26
    
    
    
    Dividends paid by subsidiaries to minority shareholders
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    (26
    )Increase (decrease) in notes payable  net
    
    
    
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    4
    
    
    
    (47
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (39
    )Proceeds from long-term debt
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Repayments of long-term debt
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (199
    )
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    (70
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (267
    )Repayments of capital leases payable
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (9
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (9
    )Issuance of common shares
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    2Net cash from (used in) financing activities
of continuing operations
    
    
    2
    
    
    
    (221
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (117
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (339
    )Effect of foreign exchange rate changes
on cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    42
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    97Net cash from (used in) continuing operations
    
    
    27
    
    
    
    (396
    )
    
    
    (74
    )
    
    
    (169
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (612
    )Net cash from (used in) discontinued operations
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    104
    
    
    
    292
    
    
    
    (18
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    389Net increase (decrease) in cash and
cash equivalents
    
    
    38
    
    
    
    (292
    )
    
    
    218
    
    
    
    (187
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (223
    )Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of
period
    
    
    35
    
    
    
    251
    
    
    
    2,177
    
    
    
    1,327
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    3,790Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
    
    $
    73
    
    
    $
    (41
    )
    
    $
    2,395
    
    
    $
    1,140
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    3,567
 64




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##### Table of Contents



ITEM 2.
    
    Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations  Table of Contents Business overview
    
    
    67Our business
    
    
    67Our segments
    
    
    68Our business environment
    
    
    68How we measure performance
    
    
    70Our strategic plan and outlook
    
    
    70Developments in 2004 and 2005
    
    
    71First nine months consolidated results summary
    
    
    71Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review; restatements; related matters
    
    
    72Comprehensive Review and First Restatement
    
    
    72Independent Review
    
    
    72Second Restatement
    
    
    72Material weaknesses in internal control over financial
reporting identified in Second Restatement
    
    
    75Revenue Independent Review
    
    
    76Personnel actions
    
    
    76EDC Support Facility
    
    
    77Credit facilities and security agreements
    
    
    77Debt securities
    
    
    77Shelf registration statement
    
    
    78Credit ratings
    
    
    78Regulatory actions and pending litigation
    
    
    78Stock-based compensation plans
    
    
    79Evolution of our supply chain strategy
    
    
    79Other business developments
    
    
    80Customer financing commitments
    
    
    80Sale of Entrust shares
    
    
    80Real estate
    
    
    80Customer contract settlement
    
    
    80Directory and operator services business
    
    
    80Patent infringement settlement
    
    
    80Customer financing arrangements
    
    
    81Joint Ventures
    
    
    81Results of operations  continuing operations
    
    
    81Segment revenues
    
    
    81Geographic revenues
    
    
    82Consolidated revenues
    
    
    82Wireless Networks revenues
    
    
    85Enterprise Networks revenues
    
    
    87Wireline Networks revenues
    
    
    88Optical Networks revenues
    
    
    90Gross profit and gross margin
    
    
    91Segment gross profit and gross margin
    
    
    91Operating expenses
    
    
    92Selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    92Segment selling, general and administrative expense
    
    
    93Research and development expense
    
    
    94Segment research and development expense
    
    
    94Segment Management EBT
    
    
    95Amortization of acquired technology and other
    
    
    95
 65




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##### Table of Contents



Deferred stock option compensation
    
    
    95Special charges
    
    
    96(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets
    
    
    98Other income (expense)  net
    
    
    98Interest expense
    
    
    99Income tax benefit (expense)
    
    
    99Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    99Results of operations  discontinued operations
    
    
    99Liquidity and capital resources
    
    
    100Cash flows
    
    
    100Uses of liquidity
    
    
    101Contractual cash obligations
    
    
    102Customer financing
    
    
    102Discontinued operations
    
    
    103Sources of liquidity
    
    
    103Credit facilities
    
    
    103Available support facility
    
    
    103Shelf registration statement and base shelf prospectus
    
    
    104Credit ratings
    
    
    104Off-balance sheet arrangements
    
    
    105Bid, performance related and other bonds
    
    
    105Receivables securitization and certain lease financing transactions
    
    
    105Other indemnifications or guarantees
    
    
    106Application of critical accounting estimates
    
    
    106Provisions for doubtful accounts
    
    
    107Provisions for inventory
    
    
    108Tax asset valuation
    
    
    109Accounting changes and recent accounting pronouncements
    
    
    109Accounting changes
    
    
    109Recent accounting pronouncements
    
    
    110Canadian supplement
    
    
    111Market risk
    
    
    112Equity price risk
    
    
    113Environmental matters
    
    
    113Legal proceedings
    
    
    113Risk factors/forward looking statements
    
    
    113Risks relating to our restatements and related matters
    
    
    114Risks relating to our business
    
    
    121
 66




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##### Table of Contents



Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations You should read this Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
of Operation, or MD&A, in combination with the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial
statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States, or U.S. GAAP. As discussed herein, this MD&A gives effect to the Second Restatement as
described below in Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review;
restatements; related matters and in Restatement in note 2 of the accompanying unaudited
consolidated financial statements. A number of our and Nortel Networks Limiteds past filings with
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, remain subject to ongoing review by
the SECs Division of Corporation Finance. In addition, the Second Restatement involved the
restatement of our consolidated financial statements for 2001 and 2002 and the first, second and
third quarters of 2003. Amendments to our prior filings with the SEC would be required in order for
us to be in full compliance with our reporting obligations under the Exchange Act. However, we do
not believe that it will be feasible to amend our Annual Report onForm 10-K/Afor the year ended
December 31, 2002, or 2002Form 10-K/A, and our Quarterly Reports onForm 10-Qfor 2003, or the
2003Form 10-Qs, due to, among other factors, identified material weaknesses in our internal
control over financial reporting, the significant turnover in our finance personnel, changes in
accounting systems, documentation weaknesses, a likely inability to obtain third party
corroboration in certain cases due to the substantial industry adjustment in recent years and the
passage of time generally. In addition, disclosure in the 2002Form 10-K/Aand 2003 Form 10-Qs
would in large part repeat the disclosure contained in our Annual Report onForm 10-Kfor the year
ended December 31, 2003 and this report and in the other 2004Form 10-Qs. Accordingly, we do not
plan to amend our 2002Form 10-K/Aand 2003Form 10-Qs. We believe that we have included in the
2003Form 10-Kand in this report all information needed for current investor understanding.
Ongoing SEC review may require us to amend this Quarterly Report onForm 10-Qor our other public
filings further. See Risk factors/ forward looking statements. This section contains forward looking statements and should be read in conjunction with the risk
factors described below under Risk factors/ forward looking statements. All dollar amounts in
this MD&A are in millions of United States, or U.S., dollars unless otherwise stated. Where we say we, us, our or Nortel, we mean Nortel Networks Corporation or Nortel Networks
Corporation and its subsidiaries, as applicable, and where we refer to the industry, we mean the
telecommunications industry. Business overview Our business Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human
experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the worlds most critical
information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, we deliver innovative
technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and
applications, and wireless broadband solutions designed to help people solve the worlds greatest
challenges. Our business consists of the design, development, manufacture, assembly, marketing,
sale, licensing, installation, servicing and support of these networking solutions. A substantial
portion of our business has a technology focus and is dedicated to research and development, or
R&D. This focus forms a core strength and is a factor that we believe differentiates us from many
of our competitors. We envision a networked society where people are able to connect and interact
with information and with each other instantly, simply and reliably, accessing data, voice and
multimedia communications services and sharing experiences anywhere, anytime. The common shares of Nortel Networks Corporation are publicly traded on the New York Stock
Exchange, or NYSE, and Toronto Stock Exchange, or TSX, under the symbol NT. Nortel Networks
Limited, or NNL, is our principal direct operating subsidiary and its results are consolidated into
our results. Nortel holds all of NNLs outstanding common shares but none of its outstanding
preferred shares. NNLs preferred shares are reported in minority interests in subsidiary
companies in the consolidated balance sheets and dividends and the related taxes on preferred
shares are reported in minority interests  net of tax in the consolidated statements of
operations. 67




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##### Table of Contents



Our segments During 2003 and up to September 30, 2004, our operations were organized into four reportable
segments as follows:  
    
    Wireless Networks  Our Wireless Networks segment provides communications networks that
enable end-users to be mobile while they send and receive voice and data communications
using wireless devices, such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants and other
computing and communications devices. Our Wireless Networks customers are wireless service
providers, and their customers are the subscribers for wireless communications services.
    
    Enterprise Networks  Our Enterprise Networks segment provides data, voice and
multimedia communications solutions for our enterprise customers. Our Enterprise Networks
customers consist of a broad range of enterprise customers around the world, including
large businesses and their branch offices, small businesses and home offices, as well as
government agencies, educational and other institutions and utility organizations.
    
    Wireline Networks  Our Wireline Networks segment addresses the demand by our service
provider customers for cost efficient data, voice and multimedia communications solutions.
We offer our Wireline Networks products and services to a wide range of wireline and
wireless service providers around the world. Our service provider customers include local
and long distance telephone companies, wireless service providers, cable operators and
other communication service providers. We also provide services to our data networking and
security customers which consist of system integrators that in turn build, operate and
manage networks for their customers, such as businesses, government agencies and utility
organizations.
    
    Optical Networks  Our Optical Networks segment solutions transport data, voice and
multimedia communications within and between cities, countries or continents by
transmitting communications signals in the form of light waves through fiber optic cables.
Our Optical Networks business is primarily focused on offering our optical networking
solutions to service providers around the world. The service provider customers for our
optical networking products include local and long-distance telephone companies, cable
operators, Internet service providers and other communications service providers. Effective October 1, 2004, we established a new streamlined organizational structure that included,
among other things, combining the businesses of our four segments into two business organizations:
(i) Carrier Networks and Global Operations, and (ii) Enterprise Networks. We have reviewed the
impact of these changes on our reportable segments and concluded that, although certain structural
changes were made to reflect this reorganization on October 1, 2004, we did not meet the criteria
to change our reportable segments under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards, or SFAS, No.
131, Disclosures about segments of an enterprise and related information for the fiscal year
2004. Our operating results on a segmented basis for the new business organizations were not
available for review by our chief operating decision maker as a significant amount of our finance
resources were allocated to our restatement activity discussed in greater detail under
Developments in 2004 and 2005. We are currently reviewing the impact of these changes on our
reportable segments for the fiscal year 2005. Our business environment In 2001, we entered into an unprecedented period of business realignment in response to a
significant adjustment in the industry. Industry demand for networking equipment dramatically
declined in response to the industry adjustment, severe economic downturns in various regions
around the world and a tightening in global capital markets. We implemented a company-wide
restructuring plan to streamline our operations and activities around core markets and operations,
which included significant workforce reductions, global real estate closures and dispositions,
substantial write-downs of our capital assets, goodwill and other intangible assets and extensive
contract settlements with customers and suppliers around the world. As a result of these actions,
our workforce declined significantly from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2003 and over the same
time period, we significantly reduced our facilities. In 2003, customer spending remained cautious
as a result of tightened capital markets mainly in the first half of 2003 and customers realigning
capital spending with their current levels of revenues and profits in order to maximize their
return on invested capital. We experienced continued industry adjustment and capital spending
restrictions by our service provider customers. Also, excess network capacity and competition
continued to exist in the industry which led to continued pricing pressures on the sale of certain
of our products. During the second half of 2003 and in 2004, we began to experience a period of relative industry
stability. Throughout the second half of 2003 and in 2004 and into 2005, we announced several new
contracts across all of our reportable segments, but primarily in our Wireless Networks segment, as
certain service provider customers began to expand and upgrade their existing networks. In 2004 and
into 2005, however, we continued to experience pricing pressures on sales of certain products
across all of our reportable segments primarily as a result of increased competition. 68




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As first announced on August 19, 2004, we have put in place a new strategic plan that recognizes
these industry dynamics and the evolution of the converged network (see Business overview  Our
strategic plan and outlook). In an increasingly cost-competitive environment, we are taking steps
that we believe will better position us to grow market share and improve our results and cash
generation. As part of our strategic plan, we also announced a focused workforce reduction of
approximately 3,250 employees. In May 2003, we commenced certain balance sheet reviews at the direction of certain members of
former management that led to a comprehensive review and analysis of our assets and liabilities, or
the Comprehensive Review, which resulted in the restatement (effected in December 2003) of our
consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000 and for the
quarters ended March 31, 2003 and June 30, 2003, or the First Restatement. In late October 2003,
the Audit Committees of our and NNLs Boards of Directors, or the Audit Committee, initiated an
independent review of the facts and circumstances leading to the First Restatement, or the
Independent Review, and engaged the law firm now known as Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP,
or WCPHD, to advise it in connection with the Independent Review. The Audit Committee sought to
gain a full understanding of the events that caused significant excess liabilities to be maintained
on the balance sheet that needed to be restated, and to recommend that our Board of Directors
adopt, and direct management to implement, necessary remedial measures to address personnel,
controls, compliance and discipline. In January 2005, the Audit Committee reported the findings of
the Independent Review, together with its recommendations for governing principles for remedial
measures that were developed for the Audit Committee by WCPHD. Each of our and NNLs Boards of
Directors has adopted these recommendations in their entirety and directed our management to
develop a detailed plan and timetable for their implementation, and will monitor their
implementation. The Summary of Findings and of Recommended Remedial Measures of the Independent
Review is set forth in full in Item 9A of our and NNLs 2003 Annual Reports on Form 10-K, or the
2003 Annual Reports. As the Independent Review progressed, the Audit Committee directed new corporate management to
examine in depth the concerns identified by WCPHD regarding provisioning activity and to review
certain provision releases. That examination, and other errors identified by management, led to the
restatement (effected with the filing of the 2003 Annual Reports) of our financial statements for
the years ended December 31, 2002 and 2001 and the quarters ended March 31, 2003 and 2002, June 30,
2003 and 2002 and September 30, 2003 and 2002, or the Second Restatement, and our revision of
previously announced unaudited results for the year ended December 31, 2003. The need for the
Second Restatement resulted in delays in filing the 2003 Annual Reports and our and NNLs Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q for the first, second and third quarters of 2004, or the 2004 Quarterly
Reports, beyond the SECs required filing dates in 2004. We refer to the 2003 Annual Reports and
the 2004 Quarterly Reports together as the Reports. Over the course of the Second Restatement process, management identified certain accounting
practices that it determined should be adjusted as part of the Second Restatement. In particular,
management identified certain errors related to revenue recognition and undertook a process of
revenue reviews. As described in more detail in the Controls and Procedures section of this
report, in light of the resulting adjustments to revenues previously reported in relevant periods,
the Audit Committee has determined to review the facts and circumstances leading to the restatement
of these revenues for specific transactions identified in the Second Restatement. This review will
have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these
revenues. The Audit Committee will seek a full understanding of the historic events that required
the revenues for these specific transactions to be restated and will consider any appropriate
additional remedial measures, including those involving internal controls and processes. The Audit
Committee has engaged WCPHD to advise it in connection with this review. See Risk factors/forward
looking statements. Over the course of the Second Restatement process, we and our independent auditors identified a
number of material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. Further, in
connection with the Independent Review, we terminated for cause our former president and chief
executive officer, former chief financial officer and former controller in April 2004 and seven
additional senior finance employees with significant responsibilities for our financial reporting
as a whole or for their respective business units and geographic areas in August 2004. We are
subject to significant pending civil litigation and ongoing regulatory and criminal investigations
in the U.S. and Canada, which could require us to pay substantial judgments, settlements, fines or
other penalties. We are currently in a challenging transitional period in connection with the completion of our
restatement activity and as we implement the new strategic plan. We believe that our strategic plan
will enable us to build on our market leadership in developing the converged networks of the future
and improve business efficiency and operating cost performance in an increasingly competitive
market. We have made a number of recent appointments that are intended to enhance and complement our senior
executive team. 69




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##### Table of Contents



These appointments included the new roles of chief marketing officer, chief strategy officer and
chief ethics and compliance officer. Effective March 14, 2005, William A. Owens, previously
president and chief executive officer was appointed vice chairman and chief executive officer, or
CEO; Peter W. Currie, our chief financial officer, or CFO, was appointed executive vice president
and CFO; and Gary Daichendt was appointed president and chief operating officer. Karen Sledge was
appointed controller on an interim basis effective February 7, 2005. We have initiated a search
process to fill the controller position permanently. How we measure performance Each reportable segment is allocated resources and assets based on whether projected customer
demand would support additional investment. We make adjustments to reduce resources and assets
within a reportable segment in response to market conditions or where opportunities for improved
efficiencies present themselves. Our CEO has been identified as the chief operating decision maker in assessing the performance of
the segments and the allocation of resources to the segments. In 2004, each reportable segment
was managed separately with each segment manager reporting directly or indirectly to the CEO. The
CEO relies on the information derived directly from our management reporting system. Commencing in
the second quarter of 2004, in conjunction with the appointment of William A. Owens, as our then
president and chief executive officer, the primary financial measure used by the CEO in assessing
performance and allocating resources to the segments has been management earnings (loss) before
income taxes, or Management EBT, a measure that includes the cost of revenues and selling, general
and administrative expense, or SG&A, R&D expense, interest expense, other income (expense)  net,
minority interests  net of tax and equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax. This
primary financial measure replaced contribution margin, the previously disclosed primary financial
measure used for earlier periods. Contribution margin differs from Management EBT in that it
excludes R&D expense, interest expense, other income (expense)  net, minority interest  net of
tax and equity in net loss of associated companies  net of tax.
See Segment information 
General description in note 5 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. From a liquidity perspective, we maintain strict controls over our sources and uses of cash. We
also focus on the liquidity and cash flows of our customers in an effort to minimize our credit
risk. We closely monitor our inventory levels, both in our manufacturing facilities as well as at
our contract manufacturers, in an effort to minimize our exposure to excess supply and subsequent
cash costs incurred as a result of excess capacity. Our strategic plan and outlook On August 19, 2004, we announced a new strategic plan intended to enable us to build on our
market leadership in developing the converged networks of the future and improve business
efficiency and operating cost performance in an increasingly competitive market. We provided
further details concerning the strategic plan on September 30, 2004 and December 14, 2004. It is
our intention to be optimally positioned to maximize strategic opportunities as they arise and
leverage our acknowledged strengths in high reliability networks and strong customer loyalty. We
continue to drive our business forward with a focus on costs, cash and revenues as strategic goals.
We remain committed to our business strategy of technology and solutions evolution in helping our
customers transform their networks and implement new applications and services to drive improved
productivity, reduced costs and revenue growth. The principal components of the strategic plan are:  
    
    a renewed commitment to best corporate practices and ethical conduct, including the
establishment of the office of a chief ethics and compliance officer, which was filled
permanently with the appointment of Susan E. Shepard, effective February 21,
2005;
    
    a streamlined organizational structure to reflect alignment with carrier converged networks;
    
    an increased focus on the enterprise market and customers;
    
    optimized R&D programs for highly secure, available and reliable converged networks;
    
    the establishment of a chief strategy officer to drive partnerships, new markets and acquisitions;
    
    the establishment of a chief marketing officer to drive overall marketing strategy;
    
    the strategic review of embedded services to assess opportunities in the professional services business; and
    
    a distinct focus on government and defense customers. 70




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Our strategic plan also includes a work plan involving focused workforce reductions, including a
voluntary retirement program, of approximately 3,250 employees, real estate optimization and other
cost containment actions such as reductions in information services costs, outsourced services and
other discretionary spending. Our workforce actions are focused to disproportionately protect
customer and sales facing roles as well as continue our focus on new innovative solutions.
Approximately 64% of employee actions related to the focused workforce reduction were completed by
the end of 2004, including approximately 55% that were notified of termination or acceptance of
voluntary retirement, with the remainder comprised of voluntary attrition of employees that were
not replaced. The remainder of employee actions are expected to be completed by June 30, 2005. In
addition, however, the Company continues to hire in certain strategic areas such as the finance
organization. These focused headcount reductions are intended to result in ongoing cost reductions
in R&D and SG&A expenses and cost of sales. These actions are subject to the completion of
required jurisdictional consultation and regulatory approvals. This workforce reduction is in
addition to the workforce reduction that will result from our agreement with Flextronics
International Ltd., or Flextronics (for more information, see Evolution of our supply chain
strategy). We expect the real estate actions to be completed by the end of 2005. For further information related to our work plan, see Special charges. We are focusing on regions and products that support areas of growth and importance to our
customers. On a regional basis, we see the largest growth opportunities in emerging markets such
as China and India. Globally, we believe security and reliability for service provider networks
are increasingly important to governments, defense interests and enterprises around the world. We expect that our consolidated revenues in 2004 will be slightly lower compared with 2003. Our
2003 consolidated revenues included revenues that were deferred from prior periods. Developments in 2004 and 2005  First nine months consolidated results summary In the third quarter of 2004, our consolidated revenues were $2,179 compared to $2,344 in the
third quarter of 2003 and $7,213 in the first nine months of 2004 compared to $6,927 in the first
nine months of 2003. In the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003, revenues
in Optical Networks decreased 40%, Wireless Networks decreased 5% and Wireline Networks decreased
10%, while Enterprise Networks increased 8%. In the first nine months of 2004 compared to the
first nine months of 2003, revenues in Wireless Networks increased 21% and Enterprise Networks
increased 3% while Optical Networks decreased 21% and Wireline Networks decreased 12%. Our gross margin decreased to
36% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to 48% in the third quarter
of 2003 and decreased to 40% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to 42% in the first nine
months of 2003. Our gross margin decreased primarily due to an estimated project loss of
approximately $159 recorded in the third quarter of 2004 related to a wireless network contract
with Bharat Sanchar Nigram Limited, or BSNL, in India that we entered into in August 2004. SG&A
expense decreased 3% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and
increased 9% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003. R&D
expense increased 10% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and
increased 2% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003. The decrease in SG&A expense in the third quarter
of 2004 was primarily due to higher customer financing receivable recoveries and reductions of provisions for trade receivables in the third quarter of 2004 as compared to the
third quarter of 2003. The increase in SG&A expense in the first nine months of 2004 was primarily due to increased employee related expenses, increased costs related
to our restatement activities and unfavorable foreign exchange rate fluctuation impacts associated
with the strengthening of the Canadian dollar, euro and Sterling against the U.S. dollar. R&D
expense increased primarily due to these unfavorable foreign exchange impacts partially offset by
the continued impact of our workforce reductions. We expect that our levels of R&D spending will
decrease in 2005 as we seek to achieve ongoing cost reductions in R&D as part of our strategic
plan. Special charges increased significantly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third
quarter of 2003 due to the implementation of our new strategic plan, including a new restructuring
work plan. Special charges for the first nine months of 2004
decreased as compared to the first nine months of 2003 because a substantial portion of activities associated with our restructuring work plan
initiated in 2001 has been completed. These activities included workforce reductions, contract
settlements and facility closures. Our discontinued operations reported net earnings of $5 in the third quarter of 2004 compared to
net earnings of $43 in the third quarter of 2003 and net earnings of $12 in the first nine months
of 2004 compared to net earnings of $157 in the first nine months of 2003, reflecting the continued
wind-down activities of our discontinued operations. We reported net loss before
cumulative effect of accounting change of $259 in the third quarter of
2004 and $184 in the first nine months of 2004 compared to net earnings before cumulative effect of
accounting change of $131 in the third quarter of 71




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2003 and net loss before cumulative effect of accounting change of $82 in the first nine months of
2003. In the first nine months of 2004, our cash and cash equivalents, or cash, decreased $607 from
$3,997 as of December 31, 2003 to $3,390 as of September 30, 2004. The decrease was due to $461 of
net cash used in our operating activities, unfavorable foreign exchange impacts of $6, $48 of net
cash used in our investing activities and $108 of net cash used in our financing activities. These
decreases were partially offset by net cash of $16 from our discontinued operations. Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review; restatements; related matters  Comprehensive Review and First Restatement In May 2003, we commenced certain balance sheet reviews at the direction of certain members of
former management that led to the Comprehensive Review, which resulted in the First Restatement.
See notes 2 and 20 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and the
Controls and Procedures section of this report. In connection with the Comprehensive Review, Deloitte & Touche LLP, or D&T, our independent
auditors, informed the Audit Committee on July 24, 2003 of a reportable condition that did not
constitute a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting (throughout this
report, unless otherwise indicated, reportable condition and material weakness have the
meanings as formerly set forth under standards established by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants, or AICPA). Later, on November 18, 2003, as part of the communications by D&T
to the Audit Committee with respect to D&Ts interim audit procedures for the year ended December
31, 2003, D&T informed the Audit Committee that it had identified certain reportable conditions,
each of which constituted a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting.
These material weaknesses identified in the First Restatement were also later identified in
connection with the Second Restatement together with certain additional material weaknesses in our
internal control over financial reporting, as described in greater detail in the Controls and
Procedures section of this report.  Independent Review In late October 2003, the Audit Committee initiated the Independent Review and engaged WCPHD
to advise it in connection with the Independent Review in order to gain a full understanding of the
events that caused significant excess liabilities to be maintained on the balance sheet that needed
to be restated, and to recommend that our Board of Directors adopt, and direct management to
implement, necessary remedial measures to address personnel, controls, compliance and discipline.
The Independent Review focused initially on events relating to the establishment and release of
contractual liability and other related provisions (also called accruals, reserves, or accrued
liabilities) in the second half of 2002 and the first half of 2003, including the involvement of
senior corporate leadership. As the Independent Review evolved, its focus broadened to include
specific provisioning activities in each of the business units and geographic regions. In light of
concerns raised in the initial phase of the Independent Review, the Audit Committee expanded the
review to include provisioning activities in the third and fourth quarters of 2003. As discussed more fully in the Controls and Procedures section of this report, the Independent
Review concluded that [i]n summary, former corporate management (now terminated for cause) and
former finance management (now terminated for cause) in the Companys finance organization
endorsed, and employees carried out, accounting practices relating to the recording and release of
provisions that were not in compliance with [U.S. GAAP] in at least four quarters, including the
third and fourth quarters of 2002 and the first and second quarters of 2003. In three of those
four quarters  when Nortel was at, or close to, break even  these practices were undertaken to
meet internally imposed . . . targets. While the dollar value of most of the individual
provisions was relatively small, the aggregate value of the provisions made the difference between
a profit and a reported loss, on a pro forma basis, in the fourth quarter of 2002 and the
difference between a loss and a reported profit, on a pro forma basis, in the first and second
quarters of 2003.  Second Restatement As the Independent Review progressed, the Audit Committee directed new corporate management to
examine in depth the concerns identified by WCPHD regarding provisioning activity and to review
provision releases, down to a low threshold. That examination, and other errors identified by
management, led to the Second Restatement. Over the course of the Second Restatement process, management identified certain accounting
practices that it determined should be adjusted as part of the Second Restatement. In particular,
management identified certain errors related to revenue 72




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recognition and undertook a process of revenue reviews, resulting in adjustments to previously
reported revenues during the periods 1998 through 2003. Other accounting practices that management
examined and adjusted as part of the Second Restatement included, among other things, the
following:  
    
    intercompany balances that did not eliminate upon consolidation and related provisions;
    
    our foreign exchange accounting, as part of our plan to address an identified material
weakness related to foreign currency translation;
    
    the accounting treatment of the February 2001 acquisition of a Zurich,
Switzerland-based company and its related assets in Poughkeepsie, New York, or the 980
NPLC business, from JDS Uniphase Corporation, or JDS, and the related OEM Purchase and
Sale Agreement;
    
    special charges relating to goodwill, inventory impairment, contract settlement costs and other charges; and
    
    the accounting treatment of certain elements of discontinued operations.  Three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 The following table presents the impact of the Second Restatement adjustments on our previously
reported consolidated statement of operations data for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2003. The Second Restatement adjustments related primarily to the following items, each of
which reflect a number of related adjustments that have been aggregated for disclosure purposes,
and are described in the paragraphs following the table below. See Restatement in note 2 of the
accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements.  
    
    revenues and cost of revenues;
    
    foreign exchange;
    
    intercompany balances;
    
    special charges;
    
    other;
    
    reclassifications; and
    
    discontinued operations.  Consolidated Statement of Operations data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 Three months ended September 30, 2003
    
    
    Nine months ended September 30, 2003As previously
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    As previouslyreported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restated
    
    
    reported
    
    
    Adjustments
    
    
    As restatedRevenues
    
    $
    2,266
    
    
    $
    78
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    6,981
    
    
    $
    (54
    )
    
    $
    6,927Gross profit
    
    
    1,192
    
    
    
    (62
    )
    
    
    1,130
    
    
    
    3,264
    
    
    
    (357
    )
    
    
    2,907Operating earnings (loss)
    
    
    124
    
    
    
    (72
    )
    
    
    52
    
    
    
    81
    
    
    
    (378
    )
    
    
    (297
    )Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before
income taxes, minority interests and equity in net
loss of associated companies
    
    
    179
    
    
    
    (32
    )
    
    
    147
    
    
    
    64
    
    
    
    (217
    )
    
    
    (153
    )Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations
    
    
    130
    
    
    
    (42
    )
    
    
    88
    
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (236
    )
    
    
    (239
    )Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations
 net of tax
    
    
    55
    
    
    
    (12
    )
    
    
    43
    
    
    
    244
    
    
    
    (87
    )
    
    
    157Cumulative effect of accounting change  net of tax
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (8
    )
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    (12
    )Net earnings (loss)
    
    $
    185
    
    
    $
    (54
    )
    
    $
    131
    
    
    $
    233
    
    
    $
    (327
    )
    
    $
    (94
    )Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    (0.01
    )
    
    $
    0.02
    
    
    $
    (0.00
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    )
    
    $
    (0.06
    ) from discontinued operations
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.00
    
    
    
    0.01
    
    
    
    0.05
    
    
    
    (0.01
    )
    
    
    0.04Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per common share
    
    $
    0.04
    
    
    $
    (0.01
    )
    
    $
    0.03
    
    
    $
    0.05
    
    
    $
    (0.07
    )
    
    $
    (0.02
    )
  Revenues and cost of revenues Revenues and cost of revenues were impacted by various errors related to revenue recognition,
corrections to foreign exchange accounting, intercompany related items and other adjustments,
including financial statement reclassifications. The net impact to revenues of the adjustments was
an increase of $78 and a decrease of $54 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003,
respectively. The net impact to cost of revenues related to these revenue adjustments, and the
other 73




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corrections was an increase of $140 and $303 for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2003, respectively. The Second Restatement adjustments to revenues and cost of revenues related
primarily to the following items:  
    
    incorrect application of SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin, or SAB, No. 101, Revenue
Recognition, or SAB 101, or AICPA Statement of Position, or SOP, 97-2, Software Revenue
Recognition, or SOP 97-2, the most significant of which related to revenue under
multiple element arrangements, and to revenue that should have been deferred until
title or risk of loss had passed, or products had been delivered;
    
    incorrect application of SOP 81-1, Accounting for Performance of Construction-Type
and Certain Production-Type Contracts, or SOP 81-1, with respect to
percentage-of-completion accounting for certain long-term construction contracts;
    
    corrections to defer revenue from the second quarter of 2003 to the third quarter of
2003 for a specific transaction until contract execution occurred; and
    
    various other adjustments primarily included corrections related to an overstatement
of revenues and cost of revenues as a result of two specific transactions recorded in
the first quarter of 2003 which should have been recorded in 2002. In addition, other
revenue recognition adjustments were made which related to a specific contract in the
Caribbean and Latin America, or CALA, region, other errors related to non-cash
incentives and concessions provided to customers and other calculation errors.  Foreign exchange As part of the plan to address a material weakness reported in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q
for the period ended September 30, 2003, a review of foreign exchange accounting was undertaken.
The net impact was a decrease to pre-tax earnings of $8 and a decrease to pre-tax loss of $97 for
the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. The significant items were as
follows:  
    
    we re-examined the determination of the functional currency for certain entities
based on the guidance under SFAS No. 52, Foreign Currency Translation, or SFAS No.
52. As a result, we identified four instances in which the functional currency
designation of an entity was incorrect. These revisions resulted in increases or
decreases to other income (expense)  net;
    
    we identified two instances of incorrect treatment of significant intercompany
positions. The net impact of the adjustments was an increase or decrease to other
income (expense)  net, with an offset to accumulated other comprehensive loss;
    
    we identified errors in the revaluation of certain foreign denominated customer
financing provisions within discontinued operations, the correction of which increased
other income and decreased net earnings from discontinued operations; and
    
    we identified errors related to translation of foreign denominated intercompany
transactions, revaluation of certain foreign denominated intercompany transactions and
accounting for mark-to-market adjustments for foreign exchange contracts as required
under SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities, or
SFAS No. 133.  Intercompany balances Historically, we had certain intercompany balances that did not eliminate upon consolidation, or
out-of-balance positions, and provisions had been recorded accordingly. As part of the Second
Restatement, we reviewed these provisions and determined that they should not have been recorded.
We recorded adjustments in the appropriate periods to reverse these provisions and to correct the
significant out-of-balance positions. The adjustments to reverse the provisions affected the
second quarter of 2003 and periods prior to 2000. The net impact was a decrease of $4 to pre-tax
earnings and an increase of $23 to pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2003, respectively.  Special charges As part of the Second Restatement, we re-examined the components of special charges and recorded an
increase of $10 and $18 to special charges for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003,
respectively. We determined that certain items were either recorded in special charges in error
or, although correctly recorded when originally recognized, were not adjusted in the appropriate
subsequent periods for changes in estimates and/or assumptions. These items related to contract
settlement costs, including real estate related items, severance and fringe benefit related costs
and plant and equipment impairment costs. 74




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Other We recorded other adjustments primarily to correct certain accruals, provisions or other
transactions, which were either initially recorded incorrectly in prior periods, or not properly
released or adjusted for changes in estimates and/or assumptions in the appropriate subsequent
periods. The impact of these adjustments was a decrease of $10 to pre-tax earnings and an
increase of $111 to pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003,
respectively, and included tax and minority interests impacts of all Second Restatement
adjustments. The adjustment to income taxes was an increase of $12 to income tax expense and nil to income tax
benefit for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively, primarily related to
the tax impact of the restatements, investment tax credits and taxes attributable to preferred
share dividends. The adjustment to minority interests  net of tax as a result of the Second
Restatement adjustments was a decrease of $10 and an increase of $16 for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2003, respectively.  Reclassifications As a result of the restatement process, various presentation inconsistencies were identified.
Adjustments were made to appropriately reflect certain items in the consolidated statement of
operations. The reclassifications were made for royalty expense, (gain) loss on sale of businesses
and assets and other items including certain functional spending and specific expenses.  Discontinued operations As a result of the restatement process, we re-examined the initial provision for loss on disposal
of the access solutions discontinued operations recorded in June 2001, and the subsequent activity
during 2001 through 2004. We concluded that the net loss on disposal of operations recognized in
the second quarter of 2001 was overstated. In addition, other adjustments were necessary to
correct certain items that were either initially recorded incorrectly, or not properly released or
adjusted for changes in estimates in the appropriate periods subsequent to the second quarter of
2001. The net impact of the adjustments was a decrease of $12 and $87 to the previously reported
net earnings from discontinued operations  net of tax for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2003, respectively. For the three months ended September 30, 2003, the $12 decrease to net earnings from discontinued
operations consisted primarily of decreases resulting from additional provisions related to
discontinued operations. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003, the $87 decrease to net earnings from discontinued
operations consisted primarily of a decrease of approximately $90 resulting from the elimination of
a gain on redemption of an investment interest due to the reversal in an earlier period of a full
valuation allowance that had been recorded against the investment interest when acquired, a
decrease of approximately $39 related to the revaluation of certain foreign denominated customer
financing provisions and a net decrease of approximately $24 resulting from additional provisions
related to discontinued operations, partially offset by a $51 net increase from adjustments to
contingent liabilities and an increase of approximately $11 related to a gain on settlement of a
sales representation agreement which had previously been recorded in continuing operations.  Material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting identified in Second
Restatement As described above and in the Controls and Procedures section of this report, two material
weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting were identified at the time of the
First Restatement. Over the course of the Second Restatement process, we and D&T identified a
number of additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, as
further described in the Controls and Procedures section of this report. D&T confirmed to the
Audit Committee these material weaknesses, listed below, on January 10, 2005:  
    
    lack of compliance with written Nortel procedures for monitoring and adjusting balances
related to certain accruals and provisions, including restructuring charges and contract
and customer accruals;
    
    lack of compliance with Nortel procedures for appropriately applying applicable GAAP to
the initial recording of certain liabilities including those described in SFAS No. 5,
Accounting for Contingencies, or SFAS No. 5, and to foreign currency translation as
described in SFAS No. 52; 75




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
    
    lack of sufficient personnel with appropriate knowledge, experience and training in
U.S. GAAP and lack of sufficient analysis and documentation of the application of U.S.
GAAP to transactions, including but not limited to revenue transactions;
    
    lack of a clear organization and accountability structure within the accounting
function, including insufficient review and supervision, combined with financial reporting
systems that are not integrated and which require extensive manual interventions;
    
    lack of sufficient awareness of, and timely and appropriate remediation of, internal
control issues by Nortel personnel; and
    
    an inappropriate tone at the top, which contributed to the lack of a strong control
environment; as reported in the Independent Review Summary referred to in the Controls
and Procedures section of this report, there was a Management tone at the top that
conveyed the strong leadership message that earnings targets could be met through
application of accounting practices that finance managers knew or ought to have known were
not in compliance with U.S. GAAP and that questioning these practices was not acceptable. Upon completion of managements assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2004 pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or SOX 404, we
currently expect to conclude that the first five of these six material weaknesses continued to
exist at December 31, 2004. We continue to identify, develop and begin to implement remedial
measures to address them, as described in the Controls and Procedures section of this report.
See also notes 2 and 20 to the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements.  Revenue Independent Review Over the course of the Second Restatement process, management identified certain accounting
practices that it determined should be adjusted as part of the Second Restatement. In particular,
management identified certain errors related to revenue recognition and undertook a process of
revenue reviews. In light of the resulting adjustments to revenues previously reported, the Audit
Committee has determined to review the facts and circumstances leading to the restatement of these
revenues for specific transactions identified in the Second Restatement. The review will have a
particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these
revenues. The Audit Committee will seek a full understanding of the historic events that required
the revenues for these specific transactions to be restated and will consider any appropriate
additional remedial measures, including those involving internal controls and processes. The Audit
Committee has engaged WCPHD to advise it in connection with this review.  Personnel actions In connection with the Independent Review, we have, among other actions, terminated for cause:  
    
    our former president and chief executive officer, former chief financial officer and
former controller in April 2004 (the former chief financial officer and former controller
having been placed on paid leaves of absence in March 2004); and
    
    seven additional senior finance employees with significant responsibilities for our
financial reporting as a whole or for their respective business units and geographic
regions in August 2004. Each of these former members of management had responsibility for their respective positions at the
time of the Comprehensive Review and First Restatement. The Board of Directors determined that
each of these individuals had significant responsibilities for our financial reporting as a whole,
or for their respective business units and geographic regions, and that each was aware, or ought to
have been aware, that our provisioning activity, described above, did not comply with U.S. GAAP. We have demanded repayment by the individuals terminated for cause of payments made under our bonus
plans in respect of 2003. We have commenced litigation against our former president and chief
executive officer, former chief financial officer and former controller seeking the return of those
payments made to them. 76




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EDC Support Facility The delayed filing of the Reports and our and NNLs Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2004, or the 2004 Annual Reports, with the SEC, the trustees under our and NNLs
public debt indentures and Export Development Canada, or EDC, gave and may continue to give EDC the
right to (i) terminate its commitments under the $750 EDC support facility, or the EDC Support
Facility, relating to certain of our performance related obligations arising out of normal course
business activities, and (ii) exercise certain rights against the collateral pledged under related
security agreements or require NNL to cash collateralize all existing support. NNL has obtained
waivers from EDC with respect to these and related matters to permit continued access to the EDC
Support Facility in accordance with its terms. The current waiver will expire on the earlier of
the date the 2004 Annual Reports are filed with the SEC, or April 30, 2005. The waivers have
also applied to certain additional breaches under the EDC Support Facility relating to the delayed
filings and the restatements and revisions to our and NNLs prior financial results, or the Related
Breaches. In connection with such waivers, EDC reclassified the previously committed $300
revolving small bond sub-facility of the EDC Support Facility as uncommitted support during the
waiver period. The $300 revolving small bond facility will not become committed support until the
2004 Annual Reports have been filed with the SEC and NNL obtains a permanent waiver of the Related
Breaches. If we and NNL have not filed the 2004 Annual Reports by April 30, 2005, EDC will have the right, on
such date (absent a further waiver in relation to the delayed filings and the Related Breaches), to
(i) terminate the EDC Support Facility and (ii) exercise certain rights against collateral or
require NNL to cash collaterize all existing support. In addition, the Related Breaches will continue beyond the filing of the 2004 Annual Reports.
Accordingly, EDC will have the right (absent a further waiver of the Related Breaches) beginning on
the earlier of the date the 2004 Annual Reports are filed with the SEC, or April 30, 2005 to
terminate or suspend the EDC Support Facility or exercise certain rights against collateral
notwithstanding the filing of the 2004 Annual Reports. While NNL is seeking a permanent waiver
from EDC in connection with the Related Breaches, there can be no assurance that NNL will receive
any waiver or as to the terms of any such waiver. As of March 14, 2005, approximately $239 of outstanding support under the EDC Support Facility was
outstanding, $170 of which was outstanding under the revolving small bond sub-facility. See
Available support facility and Risk factors/forward looking statements.  Credit facilities and security agreements On April 28, 2004, NNL terminated the NNL and Nortel Networks Inc., or NNI, $750 April 2000
five year credit facilities, or the Five Year Facilities. Absent such termination, the banks would
have been permitted, upon 30 days notice, to terminate their commitments under the Five Year
Facilities as a result of NNLs failure to file the NNL 2003 Annual Report on Form 10K by April 29,
2004. Upon termination, the Five Year Facilities were undrawn. As a result of the termination of the Five Year Facilities, certain foreign security agreements
entered into by NNL and various of its subsidiaries, under which shares of certain subsidiaries of
NNL incorporated outside of the U.S. and Canada were pledged in favor of the banks under the Five
Year Facilities, EDC and the holders of our and NNLs outstanding public debt securities, also
terminated in accordance with their terms (see note 20 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated
financial statements). In addition, the guarantees by certain subsidiaries of NNL incorporated
outside of the U.S. and Canada terminated in accordance with their terms. Security agreements
remain in place under which substantially all of the assets of NNL located in the U.S. and Canada
and those of most of its U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries, including the shares of certain of NNLs
U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries, are pledged in favor of EDC and the holders of our and NNLs
outstanding public debt securities. In addition, the guarantees by certain of NNLs wholly owned
subsidiaries, including NNI, most of NNLs Canadian subsidiaries, Nortel Networks (Asia) Limited,
Nortel Networks (Ireland) Limited and Nortel Networks U.K. Limited, of NNLs obligations under the
EDC Support Facility and our and NNLs outstanding public debt securities, remain in place. See
Liquidity and capital resources.  Debt securities As a result of the delays in
filing the Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports, we and NNL were not
in compliance with our obligations to deliver the Reports and do not
expect to be in compliance with our obligations to deliver the 2004 Annual Reports to the trustees
under our and NNLs public debt indentures. As of February 28,
2005, approximately $1,800 of notes
of NNL (or its subsidiaries) and $1,800 of our convertible debt securities were outstanding. 77




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These delays have not resulted in an automatic event of default and acceleration of the outstanding
long-term debt and such default and acceleration cannot occur unless notice by holders of at least
25% of the outstanding principal amount of any relevant series of debt securities of such
non-compliance is provided to us or NNL, as applicable, and we or NNL, as applicable, fail to file
and deliver the 2004 Annual Reports within 90 days after such notice is provided, all in accordance
with the terms of the indentures. While such notice could have been given at any time after March
30, 2004, neither we nor NNL has received a notice to the date of this report. Although we and NNL
have filed the Reports, as a result of the delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports, we and NNL will
continue not to be in compliance with our obligations under our and NNLs public debt indentures,
as described above. If notice were given, we believe that it is probable that we would file and
deliver the 2004 Annual Reports within 90 days after receipt of such a notice. In the unlikely
event that acceleration of our debt securities were to occur, we may be unable to meet our payment
obligations. As previously reported, based on publicly available information as of January 10, 2005, we had
reason to believe that at that time more than 25% of the outstanding principal amount of the $150
of 7.875% notes due June 2026 issued by a subsidiary of NNL and
guaranteed by NNL were held by one
holder, or a group of related holders. Other than with respect to that series of debt securities,
based on such publicly available information, neither we nor NNL were aware of any holder, or group
of related holders, that held at least 25% of the outstanding principal amount of any relevant
series of debt securities. However, based on such publicly available information, we had reason to
believe that there was sufficient concentration among holders of the $150 of 7.40% notes due June
2006 issued by NNL that the acquisition of a relatively small additional amount of these notes by
certain holders could result in a holder or a group of related holders holding 25% or more of the
outstanding principal amount of these notes. We and NNL are not in a position to update this
information. See Liquidity and capital resources and Risk factors/forward looking statements.  Shelf registration statement Owing to the delayed filing of the Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports, we are currently
unable to use, in its current form, the remaining approximately $800 of capacity under our shelf
registration statement filed with the SEC for various types of securities. See Liquidity and
capital resources and Risk factors/ forward looking statements.  Credit ratings On April 28, 2004, Standard and Poors, or S&P, downgraded its ratings on NNL, including its
long-term corporate credit ratings from B to B and its preferred shares rating from CCC to
CCC. At the same time, it revised its outlook to developing from negative. On April 28, 2004,
Moodys Investors Service, Inc., or Moodys, changed its outlook to potential downgrade from
uncertain. See Credit ratings and Risk factors/forward looking statements.  Regulatory actions and pending litigation We are under investigation by the SEC and the Ontario Securities Commission, or OSC,
Enforcement Staff. In addition, Nortel has received a U.S. federal grand jury subpoena for the
production of certain documents sought in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation being
conducted by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.
Further, the Integrated Market Enforcement Team of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, has
advised us that it would be commencing a criminal investigation into our financial accounting
situation. We will continue to cooperate fully with all authorities in connection with these
investigations and reviews. See Legal proceedings and Risk factors/forward looking statements. In addition, numerous class action complaints have been filed against Nortel, including class
action complaints under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA. In addition, a
derivative action complaint has been filed against Nortel. These pending civil litigation actions
and regulatory and criminal investigations are significant and if decided against us, could
materially adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity by
requiring us to pay substantial judgments, settlements, fines or other penalties. See Liquidity
and capital resources, Legal proceedings and Risk factors/forward looking statements. On May 31, 2004, the OSC issued a final order prohibiting all trading by our directors, officers
and certain current and former employees in the securities of Nortel Networks Corporation and NNL.
This order will remain in effect until two full business days following the receipt by the OSC of
all filings required to be made by us and NNL pursuant to Ontario securities laws. 78




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As a result of our delay in
filing the 2004 Annual Reports, we are in breach of the
continued listing requirements of the NYSE and TSX. We and NNL continue to co-operate with the
NYSE and the TSX concerning our and NNLs delay in filing our financial reports. To the date of
this report, neither the NYSE nor the TSX has commenced any suspension or delisting procedures in
respect of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares or other of our or NNLs listed securities.
The commencement of any suspension or delisting procedure by either exchange remains, at all times,
at the discretion of such exchange, and would be publicly announced by the exchange. See Risk
factors/forward looking statements.  Stock-based compensation plans As a result of our March 10, 2004 announcement that we and NNL would need to delay the filing
of our 2003 Annual Reports, we suspended as of March 10, 2004: the purchase of Nortel Networks
Corporation common shares under the stock purchase plans for eligible employees in eligible
countries that facilitate the acquisition of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares; the
exercise of outstanding options granted under the Nortel Networks Corporation 2000 Stock Option
Plan, or the 2000 Plan, or Nortel Networks Corporation 1986 Stock Option Plan as amended and
restated, or the 1986 Plan, or the grant of any additional options under those plans, or the
exercise of outstanding options granted under employee stock option plans previously assumed by us
in connection with mergers and acquisitions; and the purchase of units in a Nortel stock fund or
purchase of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares under our defined contribution and
investments plans, until such time as, at the earliest, that we and NNL are in compliance with U.S. and
Canadian regulatory securities filing requirements. Due to the suspension of these stock purchase plans as discussed above, in lieu of the employer
portion of stock purchase plan contributions, we made equivalent pre-tax payments to eligible
employees during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004 totaling $1 and $6,
respectively, which was recorded as compensation expense in the respective periods. Evolution of our supply chain strategy Over the last five years, we have divested most of our manufacturing activities to Electronic
Manufacturing Services, or EMS, suppliers. On June 29, 2004, we announced an agreement with
Flextronics regarding the divestiture of substantially all of our remaining manufacturing
operations, including product integration, testing and repair operations carried out in our Systems
Houses in Calgary and Montreal, Canada and Campinas, Brazil, as well as certain activities related
to these locations, including the management of the supply chain, related suppliers, and
third-party logistics. In Europe, Flextronics has made an offer to purchase similar operations at
our Monkstown, Northern Ireland and Chateaudun, France Systems Houses, subject to the completion of
the required information and consultation process. Under the terms of the agreement and offer, Flextronics will also acquire our global repair
services, as well as certain design assets in Ottawa, Canada and Monkstown related to hardware and
embedded software design, and related product verification for certain established optical
products. We have entered into a four year supply agreement with Flextronics for manufacturing services
(whereby Flextronics will manage approximately $2,500 of our annual cost of sales) and a three year
supply agreement for design services. The transfer of the optical design operations and related
assets in Ottawa and Monkstown closed in the fourth quarter of 2004. In the first quarter of 2005,
we completed the portion of the transaction related to the manufacturing activities in Montreal.
We previously reported that the portion of the transaction related to the manufacturing activities in Calgary is expected to
close in the second quarter of 2005 and that the balance of the transaction is expected to close on
separate dates occurring during the first half of 2005. We and Flextronics are currently discussing the timing of the remaining transactions in order to optimize the business transition between the companies. These transactions are subject to
customary conditions and regulatory approvals. The successful completion of the agreement and offer with Flextronics will result in the transfer
of approximately 2,500 of our employees to Flextronics. We expect to receive cash proceeds ranging
from approximately $675 to $725, which will be allocated to each separate closing and, with respect
to each closing, will be paid on an installment basis up to nine months thereafter. Such payments
will be subject to a number of adjustments, including from potential post-closing date asset
valuations and potential post-closing indemnity payments. Flextronics also has the ability in
certain cases to exercise rights to sell back to us certain inventory and equipment after the
expiration of a specified period (of up to fifteen months) following each respective closing date.
We do not expect such rights to be exercised with respect to any material amount of inventory
and/or equipment. The cash proceeds estimate is comprised of approximately $475 to $525 for
inventory and equipment and $200 for intangible assets. The cash proceeds would be partially
offset by related estimated transaction costs (including transition, potential severance, and
information technology implementation and real estate costs) of approximately $200. As a result of the proposed sale of the Northern Ireland Systems House to Flextronics, we have
determined that it is probable 79




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that certain grants received from government agencies related to employment achievement targets
will have to be repaid. The total grants received which could be subject to repayment is
approximately $35 of which we expect to have to make repayments of $11. We believe that the use of an outsourced manufacturing model has enabled us to benefit from leading
manufacturing technologies, leverage existing resources from around the world, lower our cost of
sales, quickly adjust to fluctuations in market demand and decrease our investment in plant,
equipment and inventories. We continue to retain in-house all strategic management and overall
control responsibilities associated with our various supply chains, including all customer
interfaces, customer service, order management, quality assurance, product cost-management, new
product introduction, and network solutions integration, testing and fulfillment. Other business developments  Customer financing commitments During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we reduced our undrawn customer financing
commitments by $129 primarily as a result of the expiration or cancellation of commitments and
changing customer business plans. As of September 30, 2004, all undrawn commitments were available
for funding under the terms of our financing agreements. For additional information, see Customer
financing.  Sale of Entrust shares On February 3, 2004, we sold approximately 7 million common shares of Entrust Inc., or
Entrust, for cash consideration of $33, resulting in a gain of $18. In connection with this
transaction, we no longer hold any equity interest in Entrust.  Real estate On March 1, 2004, we purchased land and two buildings for $87 that were previously leased by
us, which leases expired on February 28, 2004. As a result, we extinguished a debt of $87.  Customer contract settlement On May 7, 2004, we received $80 in proceeds from the sale of certain assets in connection with
a customer contract settlement in Latin America. This resulted in a gain of $78, which was
included in (gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets for the nine months ended September 30,
2004.  Directory and operator services business On August 2, 2004, we completed the contribution of certain assets and liabilities of our
directory and operator services, or DOS, business to VoltDelta Resources LLC, or VoltDelta, a
wholly owned subsidiary of Volt Information Sciences, Inc., or VIS, in return for a 24% interest in
VoltDelta. After a period of two years, we and VIS each have an option to cause us to sell our
VoltDelta shares to VIS for proceeds ranging from $25 to $70. As a result of this transaction,
approximately 160 of our DOS employees in North America and Mexico joined VoltDelta. We recorded a
gain on sale of businesses and assets of approximately $38 in the third quarter of 2004.  Patent infringement settlement On October 26, 2004, we entered into an agreement with Foundry Networks, Inc., or Foundry, to
settle outstanding patent infringement claims and counterclaims by us and Foundry. As part of the
settlement, we granted Foundry a four year license under certain patents and Foundry paid $35 to
us. We recorded a gain of approximately $8 in the fourth quarter of 2004 in other income (expense)
 net related to past infringement claims with the remaining $27
for prepaid future royalties to be
recognized ratably over four years. 80




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Customer financing arrangements On December 15 and 16, 2004, we sold certain notes receivable and convertible notes receivable
that had been received as a result of the restructuring of a customer financing arrangement for
cash proceeds of $116. The net carrying amount of the notes receivable and convertible notes
receivable was $61. On December 23, 2004, a customer financing arrangement was restructured. The notes receivable that
were restructured had a net carrying amount as of December 31, 2003 of $13, net of provisions for
doubtful accounts of $147 ($55 of the provision is included in discontinued operations). The
restructured notes were valued at $96 and a gain of $51 ($23 of the gain is included in
discontinued operations) has been recorded in the fourth quarter of 2004. On January 25, 2005, we
sold this receivable for cash proceeds of $110.  Joint Ventures On January 20, 2005, we signed a Joint Venture Framework Agreement with China Putian
Corporation to establish a joint venture for R&D, manufacture and sale of third generation (3G)
mobile telecommunications equipment and products to customers in China. We expect to have a
definitive joint venture agreement by June 30, 2005. We anticipate that we will own 49% of the
joint venture and China Putian will own 51%. On January 23, 2005, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding with LG Electronics to establish a
joint venture for providing high quality, leading edge telecommunications equipment and networking
solutions to Korea and other markets globally. The proposed joint venture is subject to execution
of a definitive agreement. We expect to complete this transaction in the second quarter of 2005.
We anticipate that we will own 50% plus one share of the joint venture. Results of operations  continuing operations Segment revenues The following table summarizes our revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30,
2004 and 2003, respectively, by segment: For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % Change
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % ChangeWireless Networks
    
    $
    1,054
    
    
    $
    1,111
    
    
    $
    (57
    )
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    $
    3,560
    
    
    $
    2,953
    
    
    $
    607
    
    
    
    21Enterprise Networks
    
    
    591
    
    
    
    545
    
    
    
    46
    
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    1,703
    
    
    
    1,650
    
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    3Wireline Networks
    
    
    379
    
    
    
    423
    
    
    
    (44
    )
    
    
    (10
    )
    
    
    1,262
    
    
    
    1,433
    
    
    
    (171
    )
    
    
    (12
    )Optical Networks
    
    
    155
    
    
    
    260
    
    
    
    (105
    )
    
    
    (40
    )
    
    
    680
    
    
    
    865
    
    
    
    (185
    )
    
    
    (21
    )Other (a)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (100
    )
    
    
    8
    
    
    
    26
    
    
    
    (18
    )
    
    
    (69
    )Consolidated
    
    $
    2,179
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    (165
    )
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    $
    7,213
    
    
    $
    6,927
    
    
    $
    286
    
    
    
    4
 (a)
    
    Other represented miscellaneous business activities and corporate functions.
 81




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Geographic revenues The following table summarizes our geographic revenues based on the location of the customer: For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    $ Change
    
    % Change
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    $ Change
    
    % ChangeUnited States
    
    $
    1,114
    
    
    $
    1,175
    
    
    $
    (61
    )
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    $
    3,653
    
    
    $
    3,483
    
    
    $
    170
    
    
    
    5EMEA (a)
    
    
    581
    
    
    
    545
    
    
    
    36
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    1,820
    
    
    
    1,680
    
    
    
    140
    
    
    
    8Canada
    
    
    122
    
    
    
    124
    
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    (2
    )
    
    
    413
    
    
    
    389
    
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    6Asia Pacific
    
    
    227
    
    
    
    360
    
    
    
    (133
    )
    
    
    (37
    )
    
    
    904
    
    
    
    992
    
    
    
    (88
    )
    
    
    (9
    )CALA (b)
    
    
    135
    
    
    
    140
    
    
    
    (5
    )
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    423
    
    
    
    383
    
    
    
    40
    
    
    
    10Consolidated
    
    $
    2,179
    
    
    $
    2,344
    
    
    $
    (165
    )
    
    
    (7
    )
    
    $
    7,213
    
    
    $
    6,927
    
    
    $
    286
    
    
    
    4
 (a)
    
    The Europe, Middle East and Africa region, or EMEA.(b)
    
    The Caribbean and Latin America region, or CALA.
 Consolidated revenues The following chart summarizes our recent quarterly revenues: (BAR CHART)  Q3 2004 vs. Q3 2003 Our consolidated revenues decreased 7% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third
quarter of 2003. The decrease in revenues was primarily due to a substantial decrease in Optical
Networks, a decrease in Wireless Networks and a significant decrease in Wireline Networks partially
offset by an increase in Enterprise Networks. The decrease in Optical
Networks was due in part to increased competition and reductions in capital spending for optical products. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline in Optical Networks was a result of a cumulative
correction of approximately $80 in the third quarter of 2004 for revenues previously
recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002 relating to the delivery of future contractual post-contract
support, or PCS, and other services as described below under
Optical Networks revenues. Wireless
Networks revenues declined primarily due to a decrease in Time
Division Multiple Access, or TDMA, revenues as customers across all
regions continue to migrate from the mature TDMA technology to
Global System for Mobile Communications, or GSM, and Code Division Multiple Access, or CDMA,
technologies. In addition, although customers continue to migrate to GSM, GSM revenues declined
slightly in the third quarter of 2004 due to network expansion slowdowns and project completions in
the second half of 2004 primarily in the U.S. contributing to the overall decline in Wireless
Networks revenues. The decline in Wireline Networks revenues was primarily due to traditional
circuit switching revenues declining in all regions at a faster rate than our packet voice
solutions revenues are increasing and the continued reductions in capital expenditures by our U.S.
and EMEA service provider customers. Enterprise Networks revenues increased in the third quarter
primarily due to a significant increase in the circuit and packet voice portion of this segment as
customers continued to migrate towards converged packet voice solutions from our traditional
circuit switching products. In addition, Enterprise Networks revenues also increased due to the
net impact of revenue deferrals related to certain software upgrades. In the third quarter of 2004, customer spending remained cautious, with many of our customers
realigning capital spending with their current levels of earnings in order to maximize their return
on invested capital. As a result, our customers continued to focus on conserving capital,
decreasing their debt levels, reducing costs and/or increasing the capacity utilization rates and
efficiency of existing networks. Also, excess network capacity and competition continued to exist
in the industry 82




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which led to continued pricing pressures on the sale of certain of our products. From a geographic perspective, the 7% decrease in revenues in the third quarter of 2004 compared to
the same period in 2003 was primarily due to a:  
    
    37% decline in Asia Pacific substantially as a result of a cumulative correction of approximately $80 made in the third quarter
of 2004 for Optical Networks revenues previously recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002 relating to
the delivery of future contractual PCS and other services, as described below under Optical
Networks revenues. The decrease in Optical Networks was also due to increased competition and reductions in
capital spending for optical products. In addition, CDMA revenues declined primarily due
to the completion of key customer network deployments during the first half of 2003; and
    
    5% decrease in the U.S. primarily due to the decline in demand for our mature products
and continued reductions in capital expenditures by our wireline service provider
customers. In addition, Wireless Networks revenues declined primarily due to a significant
decline in GSM revenues. The decline in GSM revenues is primarily due to network expansion
slowdowns and project completions in the second half of 2004
partially offset by an increase
in CDMA revenues primarily due to new contracts with certain service provider customers and
other customers expanding their existing networks to meet increased subscriber demand;
partially offset by a
    
    7% increase in EMEA primarily due to GSM and Universal Mobile Telecommunications
Systems, or UMTS, network expansion that has been tied to new contracts with customers
expanding their networks to meet increased subscriber demand, which was partially offset by
continued reductions in capital expenditures by wireline service provider customers.  First nine months of 2004 vs. first nine months of 2003 Our consolidated revenues increased 4% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first
nine months of 2003. Wireless Networks revenues improved substantially as a result of increased
spending in the first half of 2004 by our wireless service provider customers on our GSM, UMTS and
CDMA technologies. Our Wireless Networks business benefited from new contracts with certain
customers and other customers expanding their existing networks to meet increased subscriber demand
or enhancing their networks to support more sophisticated communication services. Enterprise
Networks revenues increased slightly due to a significant increase in the circuit and packet voice
portion of this segment as customers continued to migrate towards converged packet voice solutions.
These increases were partially offset by a substantial decline in Optical Networks revenues and a
significant decline in Wireline Networks revenues. The decrease in
Optical Networks revenues was due in part to
reductions in customer spending as they continued to focus on maximizing return on invested capital
by increasing the capacity utilization rates and efficiency of existing networks. Significant excess inventories and capacity continued to exist in the long-haul portion of the
Optical Networks segment which also resulted in ongoing pricing
pressures across all regions. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline in Asia Pacific was a result of a cumulative
correction of approximately $80 made in the third quarter of 2004 for revenues previously
recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002 relating to the delivery of future contractual PCS and other
services, as described below under Optical Networks
revenues. The
significant decline in Wireline Networks revenues was primarily due to traditional circuit
switching revenues declining in all regions at a faster rate than our packet voice solutions
revenues are increasing and the continued reductions in capital expenditures by our U.S. and EMEA
service provider customers. In the first nine months of 2004, customer spending remained cautious, with many of our customers
realigning capital spending with their current levels of earnings in order to maximize their return
on invested capital. As a result, our customers continued to focus on conserving capital,
decreasing their debt levels, reducing costs and/or increasing the capacity utilization rates and
efficiency of existing networks. Also, excess network capacity and competition continued to exist
in the industry which led to continued pricing pressures on the sale of certain of our products. From a geographic perspective, the 4% increase in revenues in the first nine months of 2004
compared to the same period in 2003 was primarily due to a:  
    
    5% increase in the U.S. primarily due to new contracts with certain service provider
customers and other customers upgrading and expanding their existing networks to meet
increased subscriber demand in the Wireless Networks segment. The increase was partially
offset by continued reductions in capital expenditures by our wireline service provider
customers;
    
    8% increase in EMEA primarily due to GSM and UMTS network expansion that has been tied
to increased subscriber demand, which was partially offset by continued reductions in
capital expenditures by our wireline service provider customers; and
    
    10% increase in CALA primarily from new contracts with certain wireless
service provider customers and other 83




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customers upgrading and expanding their existing
networks to meet increased subscriber demand; partially offset by
    
    9% decline in Asia Pacific due in part to increased competition and reductions in capital
spending for optical products. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline in Asia Pacific was a result of a cumulative
correction of approximately $80 made in the third quarter of 2004 for revenues previously
recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002 relating to the delivery of future contractual PCS and other
services, as described below under Optical Networks revenues.  Q3 2004 vs. Q2 2004 Our consolidated revenues decreased 16% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the second
quarter of 2004 primarily due to a significant decrease in Wireless Networks and Wireline Networks
and a substantial decrease in Optical Networks. The decrease in Wireless Networks revenues is
primarily due to a substantial decrease in GSM revenues primarily due to network expansion
slowdowns and project completions in the second half of 2004. The decline in Wireline Networks
revenues was primarily due to a decline in demand for our mature products and continued reduction
in capital expenditures by our service provider customers. In addition, Wireline Networks
declined due to a typical seasonal decrease in the third quarter of the year. The decline in
Optical Networks revenues was due in part to increased competition
and reductions in capital spending for optical products and to the recognition of revenue in the second quarter of
2004 related to 2002 sales that had been deferred as a result of liquidated damages and right of
return provisions. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline in Optical Networks revenues was a result of a
cumulative correction of approximately $80 made in the third quarter of 2004 for revenues
previously recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002 relating to the delivery of future contractual
PCS, and other services as described below under  Optical
Networks revenues. From a geographic perspective, the 16% decrease in revenues in the third quarter of 2004 compared
to the second quarter of 2004 was primarily due to a:  
    
    16% decrease in the U.S. primarily due to network expansion slowdowns and
project completions in the second half of 2004 in the Wireless Networks segment. In
addition, the decrease was also due to continued reductions in capital expenditures by our
wireline service provider customers;
    
    31% decrease in Asia Pacific was due in part to increased competition
and reductions in capital spending for optical products and to the recognition of Optical
Networks revenue in the second quarter of 2004 related to 2002 sales that had been deferred
as a result of liquidated damages and right of return provisions. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline in the Asia Pacific revenues was a result of a
cumulative correction of approximately $80 made in the third quarter of 2004 for revenues
previously recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002 relating to the delivery of future contractual
PCS, and other services as described below under Optical Networks revenues; and
    
    10% decrease in EMEA primarily due to network expansion slowdowns and project
completions in the second half of 2004.  2004 and 2005 We expect that our consolidated revenues in 2004 will be slightly lower compared with 2003.
The 2003 consolidated revenues included revenues that were deferred from prior periods. Although
we expect a slight decline in consolidated revenues in 2004 as compared to 2003, we saw growth in
several areas in 2004 primarily as a result of customers increasing their investments in:  
    
    voice over packet technologies;
    
    third generation wireless technologies; and
    
    expansion and enhancement of existing networks due to subscriber growth and competitive pressures. The period of relative industry stability that had characterized the second half of 2003 continued
into 2004. Our fourth quarter is expected to be our strongest quarter in 2004. For 2005, we
expect revenue growth over 2004 primarily due to continued growth in the above areas. Spending in these areas of our business has been partially offset by customers limiting their
investment in mature technologies as they focus on maximizing return on invested capital. In
addition, we have continued to experience pricing pressures on sales of certain of our products as
a result of increased competition, particularly from low cost suppliers. Further, while customer
support generally remains strong, we believe the ongoing financial restatement activities and the
internal restructuring and realignment programs initiated in August 2004 adversely impacted
business performance in 2004. Our quarterly results of operations will not necessarily be consistent with our historical
quarterly profile or indicative of our expected results in future quarters. See Risk
factors/forward looking statements for other factors that may affect our revenues. 84




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Wireless Networks revenues The following chart summarizes recent quarterly revenues for Wireless Networks: (BAR CHART)  Q3 2004 vs. Q3 2003 Wireless Networks revenues decreased 5% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third
quarter of 2003 primarily due to a substantial decrease in revenues in TDMA and a slight decrease
in GSM and CDMA partially offset by a substantial increase in UMTS. CDMA revenues decreased slightly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003
due to a substantial decrease in Asia Pacific partially offset by a substantial increase in CALA
and an increase in the U.S. The substantial decline in Asia Pacific was primarily due to the
completion of key customer network deployments during the first half
of 2004. The increases in the U.S. and CALA were primarily due to new contracts with certain
service provider customers and other customers expanding their existing networks to meet increased
subscriber demand. TDMA revenues declined substantially in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of
2003 primarily due to the continued transition to newer wireless technologies. The substantial
decline was primarily due to customers across all regions continuing to migrate from the mature
TDMA technology to GSM and CDMA technologies. In the third quarter of 2004, TDMA revenues
accounted for less than 1% of total Wireless Networks revenues compared to 6% in the third quarter
of 2003. GSM revenues decreased slightly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003.
The slight decrease was primarily due to a significant decrease in the U.S. partially offset by an
increase in EMEA. The decrease in the U.S. was primarily due to network expansion slowdowns and
project completions in the second half of 2004. The increase in EMEA was primarily due to new
contracts with certain service provider customers and other customers expanding their existing
networks to meet increased subscriber demand. UMTS revenues increased substantially in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of
2003 primarily due to increased subscriber demand, new contracts with certain service provider
customers and continued transition to this next generation technology in EMEA. From a geographic perspective, the 5% decrease in Wireless Networks revenues in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003 was primarily due to a 28% decrease in Asia Pacific, a
7% decrease in the U.S. and a 17% decrease in CALA partially offset by a 29% increase in EMEA. The
decrease in Asia Pacific was primarily due to the completion of key customer network deployments
during the first half of 2004. The decrease in the U.S. and CALA was primarily due to the continued
transition from TDMA to newer wireless technologies. In addition, the
decrease in the U.S. was
also due to network expansion slowdowns and project completions in the second half of 2004.
The increase in EMEA was primarily due to new contracts with certain service provider customers for
our UMTS technology. 85




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First nine months of 2004 vs. first nine months of 2003 Wireless Networks revenues increased 21% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the
first nine months of 2003 due to increased spending in the first half of 2004 by our wireless
service provider customers on our GSM, UMTS and CDMA technologies as a result of new contracts with
certain customers and other customers expanding their existing networks to meet increased
subscriber demand or enhancing their networks to support more sophisticated communication services. CDMA revenues increased significantly in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine
months of 2003 due to a significant increase in the U.S. and a substantial increase in CALA. The
increases in the U.S. and CALA were primarily due to new contracts with certain service provider
customers and other customers upgrading and expanding their existing networks to meet increased
subscriber demand. These increases in revenues were partially offset by a substantial decline in
Asia Pacific and a significant decline in Canada primarily due to the completion of certain
customer network deployments during the first half of 2003. TDMA revenues declined substantially in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine
months of 2003 primarily due to the continued transition to newer wireless technologies. The
substantial decline was primarily due to customers across all regions continuing to migrate from
the mature TDMA technology to GSM and CDMA technologies. In the first nine months of 2004, TDMA
revenues accounted for less than 2% of total Wireless Networks revenues compared to 7% in the first
nine months of 2003. GSM revenues increased substantially in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine
months of 2003. The substantial increase was across all regions primarily related to accelerated
network expansions with certain service providers to meet increased subscriber demand, new
contracts with certain service provider customers and other customers expanding their existing
networks. UMTS revenues increased substantially in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine
months of 2003 primarily due to increased subscriber demand, new contracts with certain service
provider customers and other customers expanding their existing networks and the continued
transition to this next generation technology. From a geographic perspective, the 21% increase in Wireless Networks revenues in the first nine
months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003 was primarily due to a 17% increase in the U.S.,
a 44% increase in EMEA, a 14% increase in Asia Pacific, a 25% increase in Canada, and a 4% increase
in CALA primarily due to new contracts with certain service provider customers and other customers
upgrading and expanding their existing networks to meet increased subscriber demand.  Q3 2004 vs. Q2 2004 Wireless Networks revenues decreased 18% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the second
quarter of 2004 due to a substantial decrease in GSM revenues primarily due to network expansion
slowdowns and project completions in the second half of 2004. From a geographic perspective, the 18% decrease in Wireless Networks revenues in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the second quarter in 2004 was primarily due to a 21% decrease in the U.S., a
14% decrease in EMEA, and a 23% decrease in CALA due to the reasons mentioned above.  2004 and 2005 During 2004, Wireless Networks revenues continued to be primarily generated by sales of CDMA
and GSM technologies. Also, revenues associated with our TDMA technology continued to decline in
2004 compared to 2003 due to the continued transition to newer wireless technologies. Revenues
related to our UMTS technology have grown compared to 2003 as a result of contracts announced in
the second half of 2003 and in 2004 and the continued transition to this next generation
technology. We continue to expect a growing percentage of our Wireless Networks revenues to come
from our UMTS technology driven by strong growth in EMEA and Asia Pacific and moderate growth in
other global markets. While we have seen encouraging indicators in certain areas of the wireless
market, we can provide no assurance that these growth areas that have begun to emerge will continue
in the future. 86




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Enterprise Networks revenues The following chart summarizes recent quarterly revenues for Enterprise Networks: (BAR CHART)  Q3 2004 vs. Q3 2003 Enterprise Networks revenues increased 8% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third
quarter of 2003 due to a significant increase in the circuit and packet voice portion of this
segment partially offset by a decrease in the data networking and security portion of this segment. Revenues from the circuit and packet voice portion of this segment increased significantly in the
third quarter of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003. The significant increase was primarily
due to the substantial increase in revenues associated with our converged internet protocol, or IP,
telephony solutions as customers continued to migrate towards converged packet voice solutions from
our traditional circuit switching products. In addition, the increase was due to the net impact
of revenue deferrals related to certain software upgrades. Revenues associated with the data networking and security portion of this segment decreased in the
third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003. The decrease to revenue was primarily
due to pricing pressures driven by increased competition and a decrease in volume of certain of our
largest channel partners. From a geographic perspective, the 8% increase in Enterprise Networks revenues in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003 was primarily due to a 16% increase in the U.S
primarily due to revenues associated with our IP telephony solutions as customers continued to
migrate towards converged packet voice solutions.  First nine months of 2004 vs. first nine months of 2003 Enterprise Networks revenues increased slightly in the first nine months of 2004 compared to
the same period in 2003 due to a significant increase in the circuit and packet voice portion of
this segment partially offset by a significant decrease in the data networking and security portion
of this segment. Revenues from the circuit and packet voice portion of this segment increased significantly in the
first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003. The significant increase was
primarily due to the substantial increase in revenues associated with our converged IP telephony
solutions as customers continued to migrate towards converged packet voice solutions from our
traditional circuit switching products. In addition, the increase was due to the net impact of
revenue deferrals related to certain software upgrades. Revenues associated with the data networking and security portion of this segment decreased
significantly in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003. The
significant decrease in revenues was primarily due to a decline in sales of our legacy routing
portfolio and associated declines in new service contracts and service contract renewals. We also
experienced a decline in revenue from certain of our data networking products primarily due to
pricing pressures driven by increased competition. These declines were partially offset by growth
from improved market penetration of certain new products. From a geographic perspective, Enterprise Networks revenues increased slightly in the first nine
months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003 primarily due to an 8% increase in the
U.S. and a 20% increase in CALA partially offset by a 4% decline in EMEA. The increases in the
U.S. and CALA were primarily due to increases in revenues associated with our 87




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IP telephony solutions as customers continued to migrate towards converged packet voice solutions
partially offset by pricing and competitive pressures on certain of our data products. The decline
in EMEA was primarily due to pricing and competitive pressures on certain data networking products,
continuing economic uncertainty in the region and a reduction in our traditional circuit switching
products.  Q3 2004 vs. Q2 2004 Enterprise Networks revenues increased slightly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
second quarter of 2004 due to a slight increase in the circuit and packet voice portion of this
segment. The data networking and security portion of this segment was essentially flat. Revenues associated with the circuit and packet voice portion of this segment increased slightly as
customers continued to migrate towards converged packet voice solutions from our traditional
circuit switching products. This increase was partially offset by the net impact of revenue
deferrals related to certain software upgrades. Revenues associated with the data networking and security portion of this segment were essentially
flat in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the second quarter of
2004 primarily due to the recognition of previously deferred revenues associated with certain data switch upgrades in the third
quarter of 2004 partially offset by pricing and competitive pressures on certain of our data
products. From a geographic perspective, Enterprise Networks revenues increased slightly in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the second quarter of 2004 primarily due to a 7% increase in the U.S. and a 10%
increase in Asia Pacific partially offset by a 9% decrease in EMEA. The increases were primarily
due to revenues associated with our IP telephony solutions as customers continued to migrate
towards converged packet voice solutions partially offset by competitive pressures on certain of
our data products. The decline in EMEA was primarily due to pricing and competitive pressures on
certain data networking products, continuing economic uncertainty in the region and a reduction in
our traditional circuit switching products.  2004 and 2005 During 2004, our Enterprise Networks customers continued to increase the deployment of voice
over packet technologies in their communications networks. We expect that data, voice and
multimedia communications will continue to converge, and enterprises will look for ways to maximize
the effectiveness of their existing networks while reducing ongoing capital expenditures and
operating costs. Also, we anticipate that demand will continue to decline for our traditional
circuit switching products, however, it is difficult to determine the extent to which future
declines in demand will occur as a result of the migration to voice over packet technologies. In
2005, we are focused on increasing our market presence with enterprise customers. In particular,
we are focusing on leading enterprise customers with high performance networking needs. While we
have seen encouraging indicators in certain parts of the enterprise market, we can provide no
assurance that the growth areas that have begun to emerge will continue in the future. Wireline Networks revenues The following chart summarizes recent quarterly revenues for Wireline Networks: (BAR CHART)  Q3 2004 vs. Q3 2003 and first nine months of 2004 vs. first nine months of 2003 Wireline Networks revenues declined 10% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third
quarter of 2003 and declined 88




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12% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003. Revenues from the circuit and packet voice portion of this segment decreased significantly in the
third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and decreased in the first nine months
of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003 primarily due to a substantial decline in our
traditional circuit switching product revenues. The substantial decline in our traditional circuit
switching product revenues was primarily due to continued reductions in capital expenditures by our
U.S. and EMEA service provider customers and a reduction in spending on our mature products in all
regions. The substantial decline in traditional circuit switching product revenues was partially
offset by the substantial increase in revenues related to our packet voice solutions in all regions
except Asia as customers transitioned to these next-generation products from our traditional
circuit switching products. Revenues from the data networking and security portion of this segment decreased in the third
quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and decreased significantly in the first nine
months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003 primarily due to a decline in demand for
our mature products in the U.S. and EMEA. From a geographic perspective, the 10% decline in Wireline Networks revenues in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 was primarily due to a:  
    
    22% decline in the U.S. and 11% decline in EMEA primarily due to a decline in
demand for our mature products and continued reduction in capital expenditures by our
service providers; partially offset by
    
    42% increase in CALA primarily due to increased deployment of packet voice solutions; and
    
    15% increase in Asia Pacific primarily due to increased deployment of data networking products. From a geographic perspective, the 12% decline in Wireline Networks revenues in the first nine
months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003 was primarily due to a:  
    
    19% decline in the U.S. and 14% decline in EMEA primarily due to a decline in
demand for our mature products and continued reduction in capital expenditures by our
service providers; partially offset by
    
    52% increase in CALA primarily due to increased deployment of packet voice solutions; and
    
    7% increase in Asia Pacific primarily due to increased deployment of data networking products.  Q3 2004 vs. Q2 2004 Wireline Networks revenues decreased significantly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to
the second quarter of 2004 due to a significant decline in the circuit and packet voice portion of
this segment and a significant decline in the data networking and security portion of this segment
primarily due to a decline in demand for our mature products and continued reduction in capital
expenditures by our service providers. In addition, the decline is also due to a typical seasonal
decrease in the third quarter of the year. From a geographic perspective, Wireline Networks revenues decreased significantly in the third
quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2004 primarily due to a 31% decline in the U.S.,
19% decline in Canada and 4% decline in EMEA partially offset by a 22% increase in Asia Pacific and
a 13% increase in CALA. The declines in the U.S., Canada and EMEA were primarily due to a decline
in demand for our mature products and continued reduction in capital expenditures by our service
providers. In addition, the decline was also due to a typical seasonal decrease in the third
quarter of the year. The increase in Asia Pacific was primarily due to increased deployment of data
networking products. The increase in CALA was primarily due to increased deployment of packet voice
solutions.  2004 and 2005 In 2004, our service provider customers continued to increase the deployment of packet-based
technologies in their communications networks as they looked for ways to optimize their existing
networks and offer new revenue generating services while limiting capital expenditures and
operating costs. However, the timing of when service provider customers will deploy packet-based
technologies on a wider scale is still unclear. The demand for our traditional circuit switching
products has continued to decline as certain service providers continued to reduce their capital
expenditures on these legacy technologies. While we have seen encouraging indicators in certain
areas of the wireline service provider market, we can provide no assurance that the growth areas
that have begun to emerge will continue in the future. 89




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Optical Networks revenues The following chart summarizes recent quarterly revenues for Optical Networks: (BAR CHART)  Q3 2004 vs. Q3 2003 and first nine months of 2004 vs first nine months of 2003 Optical Networks revenues declined 40% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third
quarter of 2003 and declined 21% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine months
of 2003. Revenues in the long-haul portion of this segment declined substantially in the third quarter of
2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the
first nine months of 2003. Revenues declined in part due to reduced spending by customers as they
continued to focus on maximizing return on invested capital by increasing the capacity utilization
rates and efficiency of existing networks. Significant excess inventories and capacity continued
to exist in this portion of the segment which also resulted in ongoing pricing pressures across all
regions. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline was a result of a cumulative correction
made in the third quarter of 2004 for revenues previously recognized primarily in 2001 and 2002.
These previously recognized revenues related to past sales of equipment to certain customers in the
Asia Pacific region which we subsequently determined should have been deferred and recognized with
the delivery of future contractual PCS and other services over the term of the PCS. A
corresponding correction was made in the third quarter of 2004 to the associated costs of revenues
which should also have been deferred and recognized with the delivery of future contractual PCS and
other services. The adjustment to correct for the previously recognized revenues resulted in a
reduction in revenues of approximately $80 in the third quarter of 2004. These revenues and
associated costs of revenues will be recognized in future periods during the remaining term of the
PCS. As a result of the corresponding correction made to the associated costs of revenues, there
was no significant impact on our gross margin as a percentage of revenues in the third quarter of
2004. Revenues in the metro optical portion of this segment increased substantially in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the
first nine months of 2003. The substantial increase in revenues was primarily due to certain
service provider customers primarily in the U.S. and EMEA upgrading and expanding their existing
networks. From a geographic perspective, the 40% decline in Optical Networks revenues in the third quarter of
2004 compared to the same period in 2003 was primarily due to a:  
    
    159% decline in Asia Pacific due in part to increased competition and reductions in capital
spending for optical products and primarily to an adjustment of revenue of
approximately $80 as described above; and
    
    10% decline in the U.S. primarily due to customers continuing to focus on
maximizing return on invested capital by increasing the capacity utilization rates and
efficiency of existing networks in the long-haul portion of this segment; partially offset
by certain service provider customers upgrading and expanding their existing networks in
the metro optical portion of this segment; partially offset by
    
    14% increase in EMEA primarily related to certain service provider customers
upgrading and expanding their existing networks in the metro optical portion of this
segment. From a geographic perspective, the 21% decline in Optical Networks revenues in the first nine
months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003 was primarily due to a:  
    
    62% decline in Asia Pacific due in part to increased competition and reductions in capital
spending for optical products and primarily to an adjustment of revenue of
approximately $80 as described above; and
    
    8% decline in the U.S. and a 3% decline in EMEA primarily due to customers
continuing to focus on maximizing return on invested capital by increasing the capacity
utilization rates and efficiency of existing networks in the long-haul portion of this segment. 90




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Q3 2004 vs. Q2 2004 Optical Networks revenues decreased 45% in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the second
quarter of 2004. The substantial decrease was primarily due to a 147% decrease in Asia Pacific.
The decrease in Asia Pacific was due in part to increased competition
and reductions in capital spending for optical products and to the recognition of revenue in the second quarter
of 2004 related to 2002 sales that had been deferred as a result of liquidated damages and right of
return provisions. In addition, a substantial portion of the decline was due to an
adjustment of revenue of approximately $80 as described above.  2004 and 2005 During 2004, our major customers in the optical long-haul portion of Optical Networks remained
focused on maximizing return on their invested capital by increasing the capacity utilization rates
and efficiency of existing networks. We expect that any additional capital spending by those
customers in the near term will be increasingly directed to opportunities that enhance customer
performance, revenue generation and cost reduction. We see an increase in demand for metro Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing solutions. This
increase is primarily due to new network deployments by certain customers and other customers
expanding their networks, driven by emerging applications such as cable video on demand, all of
which have resulted in increased demand for low cost, high capacity connectivity between network
sites. As a result, we expect that the metro optical portion of this segment will continue to
represent a larger percentage of overall Optical Networks revenues. While we have seen encouraging
indicators in certain parts of the optical market, we can provide no assurance that the growth
areas that have begun to emerge will continue in the future. Gross profit and gross margin For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    Change
    
    
    % Change
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    Change
    
    
    % ChangeGross profit
    
    $
    786
    
    
    $
    1,130
    
    
    $
    (344
    )
    
    
    (30
    )
    
    $
    2,894
    
    
    $
    2,907
    
    
    $
    (13
    )
    
    
    (0
    )Gross margin
    
    
    36.1
    %
    
    
    48.2
    %
    
    (12.1 pts)
    
    
    
    
    
    
    40.1
    %
    
    
    42.0
    %
    
    (1.9 pts)
 Gross margin declined
12.1 percentage points and 1.9 percentage points for the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2004, respectively. The decline was primarily due to:  
    
    an estimated project loss of approximately $159 related to a contract with
BSNL in India recognized in the third quarter of 2004;
    
    a one-time reduction in accruals of $53 associated with a certain customer
bankruptcy settlement in the third quarter of 2003;
    
    changes in product mix mainly related to decreased volumes of certain products with higher margins; and
    
    pricing pressures on certain of our products; partially offset by
    
    continued improvements in our cost structure primarily as a result of favorable supplier pricing. While we cannot predict the extent to which changes in product mix and pricing pressures will
continue to impact our gross margin, we continue to see the effects of improvements in our product
costs primarily due to favorable material pricing. Considering the impacts of our strategic plan
described under Business overview  Our strategic plan and outlook and the higher costs
associated with initial customer deployments in emerging markets, we expect that gross margin will
trend in the range of 40% to 44% through 2005. See Risk factors/ forward looking statements for
factors that may affect our gross margins.  Segment gross profit and gross margin  Wireless Networks Wireless Networks gross margin decreased by approximately 18 percentage points in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to 91




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the third quarter of 2003 and decreased by approximately 6 percentage points in
the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    an estimated project loss of approximately $159 related to a contract with
BSNL in India recognized in the third quarter of 2004;
    
    reductions in the selling price of certain products as a result of increased
competition for service provider customers; and
    
    changes in product mix mainly related to decreased volumes of certain products
with higher margins.  Enterprise Networks Enterprise Networks gross margin was essentially flat in both the third quarter of 2004 compared to
the third quarter of 2003 and in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003
primarily due to:  
    
    improvements in our product costs primarily as a result of favorable material pricing; and
    
    reductions in other operations related costs including customer service and warranty costs; partially offset by
    
    reductions in the selling price of certain of our products in 2003 as a result
of increased competition for enterprise customers.  Wireline Networks Wireline Networks gross margin decreased by approximately 7 percentage points in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 and decreased by approximately 3 percentage points in
the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003 primarily due to changes in
product mix mainly related to decreased volumes of certain products with higher margins.  Optical Networks Optical Networks gross margin decreased by approximately 17 percentage points in the third quarter
of 2004 compared to the third quarter of 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    a one-time reduction in accruals of $53 associated with a certain customer
bankruptcy settlement in the third quarter of 2003. In addition, Optical Networks gross margin improved by approximately 4 percentage points in the
first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    increased volume of higher margin sales contracts;
    
    continued cost reduction on our current generation products in both the
long-haul portion and metro optical portion of this segment; and
    
    reductions in operations related costs, primarily in the U.S. and EMEA; partially offset by
    
    continued pricing pressures on the sale of certain products. Operating expenses  Selling, general and administrative expense For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % Change
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % ChangeSG&A expense
    
    $
    512
    
    
    $
    527
    
    
    $
    (15
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    $
    1,596
    
    
    $
    1,458
    
    
    $
    138
    
    
    
    9As % of revenues
    
    
    23.5
    %
    
    
    22.5
    %
    
    1.0
    pts
    
    
    
    
    
    
    22.1
    %
    
    
    21.0
    %
    
    1.1
    pts
 92




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SG&A expense decreased
$15 for the three months ended September 30, 2004 compared to the same
period in 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    net trade and customer financing receivable recoveries of $43 in the third
quarter of 2004 compared to a recovery of $14 in the third quarter of 2003. The
recoveries in the third quarter of 2004 includes an incremental recovery of $27 that was
recorded as part of our review of the provision for doubtful accounts as of September 30,
2004. For additional information related to this provision, see Application of critical
accounting estimates  Provision for doubtful accounts. SG&A expense increased
$138 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004 compared to the same
period in 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    costs related to our restatement activities of approximately $62 in the first
nine months of 2004; and
    
    significant unfavorable foreign exchange impacts associated with the
strengthening of the Canadian dollar, euro and the Sterling against the U.S. dollar;
    
    an increase in expense related to our stock-based compensation plans,
including restricted stock unit and stock option programs; partially offset by
    
    net trade and customer financing receivable recoveries of $46 in the first
nine months of 2004 compared to a recovery of $112 in the first nine months of 2003.
Recoveries were higher in 2003 as a result of favorable settlements related to the sale or
restructuring of various receivables and net recoveries on other trade and customer
financing receivables due to subsequent collections for amounts exceeding our original
estimates of net recovery; Overall in 2004, our SG&A expense is expected to increase compared to 2003 primarily as a result of
costs of approximately $115 related to our restatement activities, net trade and customer financing
receivable recoveries of $180 that were included in our SG&A expense in 2003 that are not expected
to be repeated at the same levels in 2004, negative foreign exchange impacts and increases in our
stock-based compensation programs. Although we expect increased SG&A expense in 2004 compared to
2003, through the implementation of our strategic plan, we expect to reduce operating expenses
(both SG&A and R&D expense) to approximately 35% of revenues or lower on an annualized basis in
2005. See Business overview  Our strategic plan and outlook.  Segment selling, general and administrative expense  Wireless Networks Wireless Networks SG&A expense was essentially flat in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
third quarter of 2003 and increased significantly in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the
same period in 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    increases in employee related expenses;
    
    net trade and customer financing receivable recoveries in 2003 not repeated in 2004; and
    
    unfavorable foreign exchange rate impacts associated with the
strengthening of the euro and Sterling against the U.S. dollar.  Enterprise Networks Enterprise Networks SG&A expense increased slightly in both the third quarter of 2004 compared to
the third quarter of 2003 and in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003
primarily due to:  
    
    increases in sales and marketing expenses; and
    
    increases in employee related expenses; partially offset by
    
    the continued impact of our workforce reductions.  Wireline Networks Wireline Networks SG&A expense decreased slightly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
third quarter of 2003 and was relatively flat in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same
period in 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    the continued impact of our workforce reductions; partially offset by
    
    planned investment in strategic businesses. 93




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Optical Networks Optical Networks SG&A expense was essentially flat in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
third quarter of 2003. For the first nine months of 2004 compared to the same period in 2003,
Optical Networks SG&A expense decreased primarily due to:  
    
    the continued impact of our workforce reductions across all regions and
associated reductions in other related costs such as information services and real estate;
and
    
    unfavorable foreign exchange rate impacts associated with the
strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.  Research and development expense For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % Change
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % ChangeR&D expense
    
    $
    501
    
    
    $
    455
    
    
    $
    46
    
    
    
    10
    
    
    $
    1,465
    
    
    $
    1,440
    
    
    $
    25
    
    
    
    2As % of revenues
    
    
    23.0
    %
    
    
    19.4
    %
    
    3.6 pts
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    20.3
    %
    
    
    20.8
    %
    
    (0.5 pts)
 R&D expense increased by 3.6 percentage points in the third quarter of 2004 and was relatively
flat in the nine months ended September 30, 2004 compared to the same periods in 2003 primarily due
to unfavorable foreign exchange impacts partially offset by the continued impact of our workforce
reductions. Our continued strategic investments in R&D are aligned with technology leadership in anticipated
growth areas. We maintained a technology focus and commitment to invest in new innovative
solutions where we believed we would achieve the greatest future benefit from this investment. As
a result, our R&D expense as a percentage of our consolidated revenues increased to 23.0% in the
third quarter of 2004 compared to 19.4% in the third quarter of 2003 and was relatively flat at
20.3% in the first nine months of 2004 compared to 20.8% in the same period in 2003. We expect to continue to manage R&D expense according to the requirements of our business,
allocating resources and investment where customer demand dictates, and reducing resources and
investment where opportunities for improved efficiencies present themselves. Our R&D efforts are
currently focused on secure and reliable converged networks including:  
    
    packetization of voice and multimedia IP telephony solutions services;
    
    services edge capability to realize simplification of customer network
operations and broadband access technologies, including wireless and wireline; and
    
    enhanced network security to ensure the level of reliability and performance
that has traditionally existed in carrier networks. Our R&D expense as a percentage of revenue in 2004 is expected to be similar to 2003. We expect
that our R&D expense as a percentage of revenue in 2005 will be lower than 2004 as we seek to
achieve ongoing cost reductions in R&D as part of our strategic plan first announced in August
2004. See Business overview  Our strategic plan and outlook.  Segment research and development expense  Wireless Networks Wireless Networks R&D expense increased significantly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
third quarter of 2003 and increased in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine
months of 2003 primarily due to:  
    
    unfavorable foreign exchange rate impacts associated with the strengthening of
the Canadian dollar and euro against the U.S. dollar;
    
    continued investment in the development of new CDMA and UMTS products; and
    
    acceleration of programs to increase the feature content in GSM product offering.  Enterprise Networks Enterprise Networks R&D expense decreased slightly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
third quarter of 2003 and 94




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in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of
2003 primarily due to:  
    
    effectively prioritizing investment in data products and increased outsourcing activity; partially offset by
    
    acceleration of IP portfolio R&D programs.  Wireline Networks Wireline Networks R&D expense increased in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the third quarter
of 2003 and in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the first nine months of 2003 primarily
due to:  
    
    continued investment in the development of new voice and data products;
    
    accelerated development of certain new products; and
    
    unfavorable foreign exchange rate impacts associated with the strengthening of
the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.  Optical Networks Optical Networks R&D expense decreased significantly in the third quarter of 2004 compared to the
third quarter of 2003 and decreased substantially in the first nine months of 2004 compared to the
first nine months of 2003 primarily due to  
    
    the continued impact of our workforce reductions that targeted a level of R&D
expense that was more representative of the volume of our business; partially offset by
    
    unfavorable foreign exchange rate impacts associated with the
strengthening of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.  Segment Management EBT For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % Change
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    $ Change
    
    
    % ChangeWireless Networks
    
    $
    (36
    )
    
    $
    215
    
    
    $
    (251
    )
    
    
    (117
    )
    
    $
    353
    
    
    $
    377
    
    
    $
    (24
    )
    
    
    (6
    )Enterprise Networks
    
    
    39
    
    
    
    21
    
    
    
    18
    
    
    
    86
    
    
    
    78
    
    
    
    37
    
    
    
    41
    
    
    
    111Wireline Networks
    
    
    (56
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (53
    )
    
    
    (1,767
    )
    
    
    (72
    )
    
    
    91
    
    
    
    (163
    )
    
    
    (179
    )Optical Networks
    
    
    (73
    )
    
    
    5
    
    
    
    (78
    )
    
    
    (1,560
    )
    
    
    (159
    )
    
    
    (156
    )
    
    
    (3
    )
    
    
    (2
    )Other
    
    
    (112
    )
    
    
    (18
    )
    
    
    (94
    )
    
    
    (522
    )
    
    
    (436
    )
    
    
    (286
    )
    
    
    (150
    )
    
    
    (52
    )Total
    
    $
    (238
    )
    
    $
    220
    
    
    $
    (458
    )
    
    
    (208
    )
    
    $
    (236
    )
    
    $
    63
    
    
    $
    (299
    )
    
    
    (475
    )
 The changes in segment Management EBT are a result of the gross margin, SG&A expense and R&D
expense changes discussed above. See Segment information in note 5 of the accompanying unaudited
consolidated financial statements for a reconciliation of segment Management EBT to net earnings
(loss) from continuing operations.  Amortization of acquired technology and other Amortization of acquired technology and other was $2 and $7 for the three and nine months
ended September 30, 2004, respectively, compared to $32 and $98 for the same periods in 2003.
These decreases primarily reflected the charge related to the acquisition of Alteon WebSystems,
Inc, or Alteon, in 2003. The remaining net carrying value of acquired technology related to Alteon was
fully amortized in the third quarter of 2003.  Deferred stock option compensation For acquisitions completed subsequent to July 1, 2000, we were required to allocate a portion
of the purchase price to deferred compensation related to unvested stock options held by employees
of the acquired companies. This deferred compensation was amortized to net earnings (loss) based
on the graded vesting schedule of the stock option awards. There was no deferred stock option compensation expense for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2004 compared to an expense of $1 and $16, respectively, for the same periods in
2003. The decrease was primarily due to the completion of the deferred compensation amortization
associated with certain employees stock option vesting periods and 95




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the cancellation of unvested
stock options that were held by employees whose employment was terminated. As deferred stock
option compensation was fully amortized as of December 31, 2003, there will be no deferred stock
option compensation for the remainder of 2004.  Special charges We implemented our work plan to streamline our operations and activities around our core
markets and leadership strategies during 2001, or the 2001 Restructuring Plan, in light of the
significant downturn in both the telecommunications industry and the economic environment, and
capital market trends impacting our operations and expected future growth rates. In addition, we initiated activities in 2003 to exit certain leased facilities and leases for
assets no longer used across all segments. In 2004 and into 2005, our focus is on managing each of our businesses based on financial
performance, the market and customer priorities. In the third quarter of 2004, we announced a
strategic plan that includes a work plan involving focused workforce reductions, including a
voluntary retirement program, of approximately 3,250 employees, real estate optimization and other
cost containment actions such as reductions in information services costs, outsourced services and
other discretionary spending across all segments but primarily in Wireline Networks and Optical
Networks, or the 2004 Restructuring Plan. We estimate charges to earnings associated with the 2004 Restructuring Plan in the aggregate of
approximately $450 comprised of approximately $220 with respect to the workforce reductions and
approximately $230 with respect to the real estate actions. No charges are expected to be recorded
with respect to the other cost containment actions. Approximately one- third of the aggregate
charges were incurred in 2004 with the remainder expected to be incurred in 2005. The associated cash costs of the 2004 Restructuring Plan of approximately $430 are expected to be
split approximately equally between the workforce reductions and real estate actions.
Approximately 10% of these cash costs were incurred in 2004 and approximately 40% are expected to
be incurred in 2005. The remaining 50% of the cash costs relate to the real estate actions and are
expected be incurred in 2006 through to 2022 for ongoing lease costs related to impacted real
estate facilities. In addition to the above, we also expect to incur capital cash costs of
approximately $50 in 2005 for facility improvements related to the real estate actions. We anticipate cost savings from the implementation of the 2004 Restructuring Plan of approximately
$500 in 2005 primarily due to reductions to cost of revenues, SG&A, and R&D of approximately 20%,
40% and 40%, respectively, across all segments but primarily in Wireline Networks and Optical
Networks. The majority of the cost reductions are expected to be substantially realized in the results of
operations in the second half of 2005 and will be partially offset by the costs
associated with new hires added throughout 2005. We expect that this work plan will primarily be
funded with cash from operations. 96




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During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we continued to implement these
restructuring plans. Special charges recorded from January 1, 2004 to September 30, 2004 were as
follows: Contractsettlement
    
    
    Plant andWorkforce
    
    
    and lease
    
    
    equipmentreduction
    
    
    costs
    
    
    write downs
    
    
    Total2001 Restructuring PlanProvision balance as of December 31, 2003
    
    $
    64
    
    
    $
    456
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    520Other special charges:For the three months ended March 31, 2004
    
    
    6
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    6For the three months ended June 30, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    For the three months ended September 30, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Revisions to prior accruals:For the three months ended March 31, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    1For the three months ended June 30, 2004
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )For the three months ended September 30, 2004
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    24
    
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    21Cumulative provision (drawdowns) adjustments in 2004:Cash drawdowns
    
    
    (45
    )
    
    
    (133
    )
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (178
    )Non-cash drawdowns
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    (1
    )
    
    
    (1
    )Foreign exchange and other adjustments
    
    
    (4
    )
    
    
    14
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    10Provision balance as of September 30, 2004
    
    $
    17
    
    
    $
    361
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    3782004 Restructuring PlanProvision balance as of December 31, 2003
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    Other special charges:For the three months ended September 30, 2004
    
    
    72
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    72Provision balance as of September 30, 2004
    
    $
    72
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    72Provision balance as of September 30, 2004 (a)
    
    $
    89
    
    
    $
    361
    
    
    $
    
    
    
    $
    450
 (a)
    
    As of September 30, 2004 and December 31, 2003, the short-term provision balance was
$190 and $206, respectively, and the long-term provision balance was $260 and $314.
 We recorded special charges of $21 and $27, in the third quarter and first nine months of 2004
respectively, related to the 2001 Restructuring Plan. This included revisions of $21 and $21
respectively, related to prior accruals. Workforce reduction charges of $6 were related to severance and benefit costs associated with
approximately 80 employees notified of termination during the three months ended March 31, 2004,
which related entirely to Optical Networks, and were partially offset by revisions to prior
accruals in the third quarter of 2004 of $4. Our workforce reduction provision balance was drawn
down by cash payments of $45. The remaining provision is expected to be substantially drawn down by
the end of 2005. No new contract settlement and lease costs were incurred during the first nine months of 2004. Net
revisions of $24 were recorded in the third quarter of 2004 primarily related to changes in
estimates for sublease income and costs to vacate certain properties. During the nine months ended
September 30, 2004, the provision balance for contract settlement and lease costs was drawn down by
cash payments of $133. The remaining provision, net of approximately $270 in estimated sublease
income, is expected to be substantially drawn down by the end of 2013. We recorded special charges of $72 in the third quarter of 2004 related to our 2004 Restructuring
Plan. Workforce reduction charges of $72 were related to severance and benefit costs associated
with approximately 1,300 employees identified for termination under ongoing benefit arrangements.
The workforce reduction was primarily in the U.S., Canada, and EMEA and extended across all
segments but primarily in Wireline Networks and Optical Networks. During the three months ended
September 30, 2004, the workforce reduction provision balance
had not been drawn down by any cash
payments. The remaining provision is expected to be substantially drawn down by the end of 2005. For additional information related to our restructuring activities, see Special charges in note 6
of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. 97




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(Gain) loss on sale of businesses and assets Gain on sale of businesses and assets was $39 in the third quarter of 2004 and $114 in the
first nine months of 2004 compared to a gain on sale of businesses and assets of $17 and $6,
respectively, for the same periods in 2003. The gain in 2004 is primarily due to a gain of
approximately $38 related to the sale of our DOS business to VoltDelta and a gain of $78 related to
the sale of certain assets in CALA. For additional information relating to these asset sales, see Divestitures in note 9 of the
accompanying unaudited financial statements. Other income (expense)  net The components of other income- net, are as follows: For the three months ended September 30,
    
    
    For the nine months ended September 30,2004
    
    
    2003
    
    
    2004
    
    
    2003Interest income (a)
    
    $
    16
    
    
    $
    15
    
    
    $
    47
    
    
    $
    53Gain (loss) on sale or write down of investments
    
    
    1
    
    
    
    11
    
    
    
    33
    
    
    
    2Currency exchange gains (losses) (b)
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    7
    
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    113Other  net
    
    
    (26
    )
    
    
    115
    
    
    
    (21
    )
    
    
    134Total other income (expense)  net
    
    $
    44
    
    
    $
    148
    
    
    $
    112
    
    
    $
    302
 (a)
    
    Interest income on our short-term investments.(b)
    
    Currency exchange gains (losses) were primarily related to day-to-day transactional
activities.
 In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we recognized a:  
    
    gain of $31 resulting from the correction in the third quarter of 2004 of an
error in functional currency designation of an entity in Brazil that occurred from the
third quarter of 2001 to the second quarter of 2004; and
    
    gain of $8 related to a certain customer bankruptcy settlement; partially
offset by
    
    loss of $19 (loss of $8 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004) related
to prepaid equity forward purchase contracts that were entered into in connection with the
issuance of restricted stock units; and
    
    loss of $12 ( loss of $27 for the nine months ended September 30, 2004)
related to changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments that do not meet the
criteria for hedge accounting. In addition, in the nine months ended September 30, 2004, we recognized a:  
    
    gain of $18 related to the sale of our remaining 7 million common shares of
Entrust; and
    
    gain of $13 related to the sale of Arris Group, Inc., or Arris Group, shares.
For additional information on our investment in Arris Group see Results of operations -
discontinued operations. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, we recognized a:  
    
    gain of $79 related to the sale of our interest in EADS Telecom in conjunction
with the changes in ownership of our French and German operations;
    
    gain of $15 (gain of $30 for the nine months ended September 30, 2003) related
to a certain customer bankruptcy settlement;
    
    gain of $6 related to sale of our interest in Bookham; and
    
    gain of $6 (gain of $12 for the nine months ended September 30, 2003) related
to changes in fair value of derivative financial instruments that do not meet the criteria
for hedge accounting. In addition, in the nine months ended September 30, 2003, we recognized:  
    
    a payment of $25 received from a settlement related to intellectual property use; partially offset by
    
    adjustments to various sales tax reserves of $28. 98




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Interest expense Interest expense decreased $5 in the third quarter of 2004 and decreased $8 in the first nine
months of 2004 compared to the same periods in 2003 primarily due to a reduction in the outstanding
balances of our notes payable and long-term debt. Our quarterly interest expense in 2004 was $52, $50 and $48 for the first, second and third
quarters, respectively. We expect that the quarterly interest expense for the remainder of 2004 and
2005 will remain at similar levels. Income tax benefit (expense) In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, we recorded a tax benefit of $30
and $32, respectively, on pre-tax loss from continuing operations before minority interests and
equity in net loss of associated companies of $287 and $197, respectively. We recorded a tax
expense against the earnings of certain taxable entities and recorded additional valuation
allowances against the tax benefit of current period losses of other entities. The tax benefit of
$32 is primarily a result of R&D related incentives and the tax benefit of favorable audit
settlements, partially offset by tax expense recorded against the earnings of certain taxable
entities and corporate minimum and other taxes. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, we recorded a tax expense of $36 and a tax
benefit of $4, respectively, on pre-tax earnings from continuing operations before minority
interests and equity in net loss of associated companies of $147 for the three months ended
September 30, 2003 and a pre-tax loss from continuing operations before minority interests and
equity in net loss of associated companies of $153 for the nine months ended September 30, 2003. We
recorded a tax expense against the earnings of certain taxable entities and recorded additional
valuation allowances against the tax benefit of current period losses of other entities. The tax
expense of $36 recorded in the three months ended September 30, 2003 is primarily a result of tax
expense recorded against the earnings of certain taxable entities partially offset by R&D related
incentives and the drawdown of the deferred tax liability related to acquired technology. The tax
benefit of $4 recorded in the nine months ended September 30, 2003 is primarily a result of R&D
related incentives and the drawdown of the deferred tax liability related to acquired technology,
partially offset by tax expense recorded against the earnings of certain taxable entities and
corporate minimum and other taxes. As of September 30, 2004, we have substantial loss carryforwards and valuation allowances in our
significant tax jurisdictions. These loss carryforwards will serve to minimize our future cash
income related taxes. We will continue to assess the valuation allowance recorded against our
deferred tax assets on a quarterly basis. The valuation allowance is in accordance with SFAS No.
109, Accounting for Income Taxes, which requires that a tax valuation allowance be established
when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of a companys deferred tax assets will
not be realized. Given the magnitude of our valuation allowance, future adjustments to this
allowance based on actual results could result in a significant adjustment to our effective tax
rate. For additional information, see Application of critical accounting estimates  Tax asset
valuation. Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations As a result of the items discussed above under our Results of operations  continuing
operations, net loss from continuing operations was $264 in the third quarter of 2004 and $196
in the first nine months of 2004. This amount represented a decline of $352 and an improvement of
$43, respectively, compared to our net earnings from continuing operations of $88 and net loss from
continuing operations $239, respectively, in the third quarter of 2003 and the first nine months of
2003. Results of operations  discontinued operations As of December 31, 2003, we had substantially completed the wind-down of our access solutions
operations. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2004, there was no significant activity in
discontinued operations and we recorded net earnings from discontinued operations (net of tax) of
$5 and $12, respectively. In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, we recorded net earnings from discontinued
operations (net of tax) of $43 and $157, respectively, which included gains of $24 and $79, respectively, associated with provision
reassessments. The net earnings of $157 primarily related to a number
of transactions as follows: 99




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
    
    a gain of $12 on March 24, 2003 from the sale of 8 million common shares of Arris Group
back to Arris Group for cash consideration of $28 pursuant to a March 11, 2003 agreement.
In addition, on March 18, 2003, we assigned our membership interest in Arris Interactive
LLC, or Arris, to ANTEC Corporation, an Arris Group company, for cash consideration of
$88, resulting in a loss of $2. Also in connection with these transactions, we received
$11 upon the settlement of a sales representation agreement with Arris Group and recorded
a gain of $11. Following the March 2003 transactions, we reduced our interest in Arris
Group to 18.8 percent, and ceased equity accounting for the investment. As a result, we
reclassified our remaining ownership interest in Arris Group as an available-for-sale
investment within continuing operations effective in the second quarter of 2003. We
continue to dispose of our interest in Arris Group, and the gain or loss on the sale of shares subsequent to the first quarter of 2003 was included in other income (expense) 
net; and
    
    a gain of $66 in the first quarter of 2003 from the settlement of certain trade and
customer financing receivables, the majority of which was previously provisioned. For additional information, see Discontinued operations in note 18 of the accompanying unaudited
consolidated financial statements and Other income (expense)  net. Liquidity and capital resources Cash flows The following table summarizes our cash flows by activity and cash on hand as of September 30: 2004
    
    
    2003Net cash from (used in) operating activities of continuing operations
    
    $
    (461
    )
    
    $
    (285
    )Net cash from (used in) investing activities of continuing operations
    
    
    (48
    )
    
    
    (85
    )Net cash from (used in) financing activities of continuing operations
    
    
    (108
    )
    
    
    (339
    )Effect of foreign exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    (6
    )
    
    
    97Net cash from (used in) continuing operations
    
    
    (623
    )
    
    
    (612
    )Net cash from (used in) discontinued operations
    
    
    16
    
    
    
    389Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
    
    
    (607
    )
    
    
    (223
    )Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
    
    
    3,997
    
    
    
    3,790Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
    
    $
    3,390
    
    
    $
    3,567
 As of September 30, 2004, our primary source of liquidity was our cash. As of September 30, 2004,
we had cash of $3,390 excluding $77 of restricted cash and cash equivalents. We believe this cash
will be sufficient to fund the changes to our business model in accordance with the strategic plan
(see Business overview  Our strategic plan and outlook), manage our investments and meet our
customer commitments for at least the next 12 months. However, if capital spending by service
providers and other customers changes from what we currently expect, we may be required to adjust
our current business model. As a result, our revenues and cash flows may be materially lower than
we expect and we may be required to further reduce our investments or take other measures in order
to meet our cash requirements. In the future, we may seek additional funds from liquidity
generating transactions and other sources of external financing. We continue to routinely monitor
the capital markets for opportunities to improve our capital structure and financial flexibility.
Our ability and willingness to access the capital markets is based on many factors including market
conditions and overall financial objectives. Currently our ability is limited due to the impact of
the delay in filing the Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports and the findings of the Independent
Review and related matters. We cannot provide any assurance that our net cash requirements will be
as we currently expect, that we will continue to have access to the EDC Support Facility when and
as needed or that liquidity generating transactions or financings will be available to us on
acceptable terms. In addition, we have not assumed the need to make any payments in respect of
judgments, settlements, fines or other penalties in connection with our pending civil litigation or
investigations including those related to the First Restatement and Second Restatement, which could
have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or liquidity, other than anticipated
professional fees and expenses. See Risk factors/ forward looking statements. In the first nine months of 2004, net cash used in operating activities was $461 due to our net
loss from continuing operations
of $196, less net adjustments of $60 for non-cash and other items
plus $325 related to the changes
in our operating assets and 100




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liabilities. The use of cash
of $325 resulting from the change in our
operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to:  
    
    increase of $14 in restricted cash;
    
    $313 primarily related to product shipments not exceeding additions to inventories
during the first nine months of 2004;
    
    net cash decrease of $64 related to income taxes;
    
    $178 in restructuring related cash outflows; and
    
    a net decrease of $111 related to accounts payable and accrued liabilities and other
operating assets and liabilities; partially offset by
    
    $355 primarily related to the timing of collection of receivables; The net decrease of $111 related to accounts payable and accrued liabilities and other operating
assets and liabilities was mainly a result of:  
    
    payments related to our employee bonus plans;
    
    payments related to our stock-based compensation plans, including restricted stock unit programs;
    
    payments of certain contract manufacturer and supplier accruals;
    
    settlement of certain obligations related to our internal information systems infrastructure;
    
    activities associated with our outsourcing contracts;
    
    reduction of certain customer contract settlement costs;
    
    an increase in accounts payable due to increased diligence in paying suppliers
in accordance with supply management minimum terms; and
    
    the proportionate decrease in these assets and liabilities as a result of the
decline in the size of our business. As a result of previously incurred tax losses and tax credits, we do not expect that we will have
to make significant cash income tax payments for the foreseeable future. Cash flows used in investing activities were $48 and were primarily due to net expenditures of $184
for plant and equipment. This was partially offset by proceeds of $143 from the sale of certain
investments and businesses which we no longer considered strategic, including $17 related to the
sale of the common shares of Arris Group and $33 related to the sale of the common shares of
Entrust. Cash flows used in financing activities were $108 and were primarily due to $107 used to reduce our
long-term debt, a repayment of capital leases payable of $5 and dividends of $24 paid by NNL
related to its outstanding preferred shares. These amounts were partially offset by $30 of proceeds
from the issuance of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares from the exercise of stock options.
The reduction of our long-term debt is primarily due to the extinguishment of debt of $87 related
to the purchase of land and two buildings in the U.S that were previously leased by us. In the first nine months of 2004, our cash decreased $6 due to unfavorable effects of changes in
foreign exchange rates. The decrease was primarily a result of unfavorable changes in the euro. Also in the first nine months of 2004, our discontinued operations generated net cash of $16
related to the continued wind-down of our discontinued operations. Uses of liquidity As of September 30, 2004, our cash requirements for the next 12 months are primarily to fund:  
    
    operations;
    
    research and development;
    
    costs relating to workforce reduction and other restructuring activities;
    
    capital expenditures;
    
    debt service;
    
    pension and post-retirement benefits; and
    
    costs in relation to the restatement activities, matters related to the
Independent Review and other related matters, 101




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including regulatory and other legal proceedings. In particular, we are subject to significant pending civil litigation actions and regulatory and
criminal investigations which could materially adversely affect our financial condition and
liquidity by requiring us to pay substantial judgments, settlements, fines or other penalties. See
Risk factors/forward looking statements. Considerable effort and resources have been expended on
our restatement activities in 2004, including the dedicated effort of hundreds of employees and
numerous external consultants and advisors. The estimated costs of our restatement activities in
2004 are approximately $115, which amount is included in SG&A expense in our consolidated
statements of operations in the periods in which the costs are incurred. Also, from time to time, we may purchase our outstanding debt securities and/or convertible notes
in privately negotiated or open market transactions, by tender offer or otherwise, in compliance
with applicable laws. As well, we expect to be required to fund some portion of our aggregate
undrawn customer financing commitments as further described below.  Contractual cash obligations Our contractual cash obligations for long-term debt, purchase obligations, operating leases,
outsourcing contracts, obligations under special charges, pension, post-retirement and
post-employment obligations and other long-term liabilities reflected on the balance sheet remained
substantially unchanged as of September 30, 2004 from the amounts disclosed as of December 31, 2003
in our 2003 Annual Report.  Customer financing Generally, customer financing arrangements may include financing with deferred payment terms
in connection with the sale of our products and services, as well as funding for non-product costs
associated with network installation and integration of our products and services. We may also
provide funding for working capital purposes and equity financing. The following table provides
information related to our customer financing commitments, excluding our discontinued operations as
of: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Drawn and outstanding  gross
    
    $
    363
    
    
    $
    401Provisions for doubtful accounts
    
    
    (271
    )
    
    
    (281
    )Drawn and outstanding  net(a)
    
    
    92
    
    
    
    120Undrawn commitments
    
    
    51
    
    
    
    180Total customer financing
    
    $
    143
    
    
    $
    300
 (a)
    
    Included short-term and long-term amounts. Short-term and long-term amounts were
included in accounts receivable  net and other assets, respectively, in the consolidated
balance sheets.
 During the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, we entered into certain agreements
to restructure and/or settle various customer financing and related receivables. As a result of
these transactions, we received cash consideration of approximately $15 and $221, respectively, to
settle outstanding receivables with a net carrying value of approximately $14 and $117,
respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004 and 2003, we reduced undrawn customer financing
commitments by $129 and $712, respectively, as a result of the expiration or cancellation of
commitments and changing customer business plans. On January 8, 2004, we renegotiated an agreement with a certain customer which reduced our
aggregate undrawn customer financing commitments from $180 to $69. We continue to regularly assess the levels of our customer financing provisions based on a
loan-by-loan review to evaluate whether the terms of each loan reflect current market conditions.
We review the ability of our customers to meet their repayment obligations and determine our
provisions accordingly. Commitments to extend future financing generally have conditions for
funding, fixed expiration or termination dates and specific interest rates and purposes. We cannot
predict with certainty the extent to which our customers will satisfy the applicable conditions for
funding, and subsequently request funding, prior to the termination date of the commitments. We
are currently directly supporting most outstanding balances
and expect to initially fund any future commitments in the normal course of business from our
working capital. We expect to fund substantially all of our current
remaining undrawn commitments
in 2005. 102




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However, we also expect that we will be able to arrange for third party lenders to assume
these obligations in the same timeframe. At the end of the first nine months of 2004, all undrawn
commitments were available for funding under the terms of the financing agreements. Discontinued operations As of September 30, 2004, accruals related to our discontinued access solutions operations
totaled $1 and were related to future contractual obligations and estimated liabilities during the
planned period of disposition. The remaining accruals are expected to be substantially drawn down
by cash payments by the end of 2005. For additional information related to our discontinued operations, see Discontinued operations in
note 18 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. Sources of liquidity  Credit facilities On April 28, 2004, we notified the lenders under the Five Year Facilities that we were
terminating these facilities. Due to NNLs failure to file its 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K by
April 29, 2004, the banks under the Five Year Facilities would have otherwise been permitted to,
upon 30 days notice, terminate their commitments under the Five Year Facilities. As of September
30, 2004, we had no material credit facilities in place. For additional information relating to
the Five Year Facilities and the impact of the termination of these facilities under the related
security agreements, see Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee Independent
Review; restatements; related matters  Credit facilities and security agreements and Risk
factors/forward looking statements.  Available support facility On February 14, 2003, NNL entered into the EDC Support Facility. As of September 30, 2004, the
facility provided for up to $750 in support including:  
    
    $300 of uncommitted revolving support for performance bonds or similar
instruments, of which $201 was utilized;
    
    $150 of uncommitted support for receivables sales and/or securitizations, of
which none was utilized; and
    
    $300 of uncommitted support for performance bonds and/or receivables sales
and/or securitizations, of which $207 was utilized. For additional information related to the EDC Support Facility subsequent to September 30, 2004 and
waivers obtained in connection with certain defaults arising under the EDC Support Facility from
the delay in filing the Reports, see Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee
Independent Review; restatements; related matters  EDC Support Facility and Risk factors/
forward looking statements. On March 29, 2004, NNL and EDC amended the EDC Support Facility to provide that EDC may suspend its
obligation to issue NNL any additional support if events occur that would have a material adverse
effect on NNLs business, financial position or results of operation. As a result of an amendment
on December 10, 2004, the EDC Support Facility will expire on December 31, 2006. The EDC Support Facility does not materially restrict NNLs ability to sell any of its assets
(subject to certain maximum amounts) or to purchase or pre-pay any of its currently outstanding
debt. The EDC Support Facility can be suspended or terminated if NNLs senior long-term debt
rating by Moodys has been downgraded to less than B3 or if its debt rating by S&P has been
downgraded to less than B. As of September 30, 2004, NNLs obligations under the EDC Support Facility were secured on an equal
and ratable basis under the security agreements entered into by NNL and various of our subsidiaries
that pledged substantially all of NNLs and its subsidiaries assets in favor of the holders of
NNLs public debt securities and the holders of our 4.25% Convertible Senior Notes. As of
September 30, 2004, the security provided under the security agreements was comprised of:  
    
    pledges of substantially all of the assets of NNL and those of most of its
U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries; and
    
    guarantees by certain of NNLs wholly owned subsidiaries
organized in the U.S., Canada,
England, Ireland and Hong Kong. 103




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If NNLs senior long-term debt rating by Moodys returns to Baa2 (with a stable outlook) and its
rating by S&P returns to BBB (with a stable outlook), the security and guarantees will be released
in full. If the EDC Support Facility is terminated, or expires, the security and guarantees will
also be released in full. NNL may provide EDC with cash collateral in an amount equal to the total
amount of its outstanding obligations and undrawn commitments and expenses under this facility (or
any other alternative collateral or arrangements acceptable to EDC) in lieu of the security
provided under the security agreements. Accordingly, if the EDC Support Facility is secured by
cash or other alternate collateral or arrangements acceptable to EDC, the security and guarantees
will also be released in full. For information related to our outstanding public debt, see Long-term debt, credit and support
facilities in note 10 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. For
additional financial information related to those subsidiaries providing guarantees as of September
30, 2004, see Supplemental consolidating financial information in note 22 of the accompanying
unaudited consolidated financial statements. For information related to the security pledged,
those subsidiaries providing guarantees and the impact of the termination of the Five Year
Facilities on the related security agreements, subsequent to September 30, 2004, see Developments
in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review;
restatements; related matters 
Credit facilities and security agreements. For information related to our debt ratings, see
Credit ratings below. See Risk factors/ forward looking statements for factors that may affect
our ability to comply with covenants and conditions in our EDC Support Facility in the future.  Shelf registration statement and base shelf prospectus In 2002, we and NNL filed a shelf registration statement with the SEC and a base shelf prospectus with
the applicable securities regulatory authorities in Canada, to qualify for the potential sale of up
to $2,500 of various types of securities in the U.S. and/or Canada. The qualifying securities
include common shares, preferred shares, debt securities, warrants to purchase equity or debt
securities, share purchase contracts and share purchase or equity units (subject to certain
approvals). As of September 30, 2004, approximately $1,700 under the shelf registration statement
and base shelf prospectus has been utilized. As of June 6, 2004, the Canadian shelf registration
expired. Owing to matters described above in Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit
Committee Independent Review; restatements; related matters with respect to the delayed filing of
the Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports, we are currently unable to utilize the remaining capacity
under the SEC shelf registration statement in its current form. For the same reasons, we are also
unable to permit holders of our prepaid forward purchase contracts to exercise certain early
settlement rights and receive Nortel Networks Corporation common shares in advance of the
otherwise applicable August 15, 2005 settlement date. These rights will again become exercisable
upon the effectiveness of a registration statement (or a post-effective amendment to the shelf
registration statement) filed with the SEC (with respect to the common shares to be delivered) that
contains a related current prospectus. Under the terms of the Purchase Contract and Unit Agreement
which governs the purchase contracts, we have agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to
have, in effect, a registration statement covering the common shares to be delivered and to provide
a prospectus in connection therewith. Credit ratings Rating on long-termdebt issued orguaranteed by Nortel
    
    Rating on preferredNetworks Limited/Nortel
    
    shares issued by NortelRating agency
    
    Networks Corporation
    
    Networks Limited
    
    Last changeStandard & Poors Ratings Service
    
    B
    
    CCC
    
    April 28,2004Moodys Investors Service, Inc.
    
    B3
    
    Caa3
    
    November 1, 2002
 On April 28, 2004, S&P downgraded its ratings on NNL, including its long-term corporate credit
rating from B to B and its preferred shares rating from CCC to CCC. At the same time, it
revised its outlook to developing from negative. Moodys outlook changed to review for potential
downgrade from uncertain on April 28, 2004. There can be no assurance that our credit ratings will
not be lowered or that these ratings agencies will not issue adverse commentaries, potentially
resulting in higher financing costs and reduced access to capital markets or alternative financing
arrangements. A reduction in our credit ratings may also affect our ability, and the cost, to
securitize receivables, obtain bid, performance related and
other bonds, access the EDC Support Facility and/or enter into normal course derivative or hedging
transactions. 104




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Off-balance sheet arrangements Bid, performance related and other bonds We have entered into bid, performance related and other bonds in connection with various
contracts. Bid bonds generally have a term of less than twelve months, depending on the length of
the bid period for the applicable contract. Performance related and other bonds generally have a
term of twelve months and are typically renewed, as required, over the term of the applicable
contract. The various contracts to which these bonds apply generally have terms ranging from two
to five years. Any potential payments which might become due under these bonds would be related to
our non-performance under the applicable contract. Historically, we have not had to make material
payments and we do not anticipate that we will be required to make material payments under these
types of bonds. The following table provides information related to these types of bonds as of: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Bid and performance related bonds (a)
    
    $
    342
    
    
    $
    427Other bonds (b)
    
    
    53
    
    
    
    53Total bid, performance related and other bonds
    
    $
    395
    
    
    $
    480
 (a)
    
    Net of restricted cash and cash equivalents of $29 as of September 30, 2004 and $14 as of
December 31, 2003.(b)
    
    Net of restricted cash and cash equivalents of $32 as of September 30, 2004 and $31 as of
December 31, 2003.
 The criteria under which bid, performance related and other bonds can be obtained changed due
to the industry environment primarily in 2002 and 2001. During that timeframe, in addition to the
payment of higher fees, we experienced significant cash collateral requirements in connection with
obtaining new bid, performance related and other bonds. Given that the EDC Support Facility is
used to support bid and performance bonds with varying terms, including those with at least 365 day
terms, we will likely need to increase our use of cash collateral to support these obligations
beginning on January 1, 2006 absent a further extension of the facility. The EDC Support Facility provides support for certain obligations under bid and performance related
bonds and has reduced the requirement to provide cash collateral to support these obligations. As
of September 30, 2004, the EDC Support Facility provided for up to $750 in support, of which $300
was uncommitted support for performance bonds of which $201 was utilized as of September 30, 2004.
The remainder was uncommitted support, subject to certain limitations, for performance bonds,
receivables sales and/or securitizations of which $207 was utilized as of September 30, 2004. Any
bid or performance related bonds with terms that extend beyond December 31, 2006 are currently not
eligible for the support provided by this facility. In addition to the support facility with EDC,
our existing security agreements permit us to secure additional obligations under bid and
performance related bonds with the assets pledged under the security agreements and to provide cash
collateral as security for these types of bonds. See Available support facility for additional
information on the EDC Support Facility and the security agreements and see Developments in 2004
and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review; restatements; related matters  EDC Support
Facility for additional information in connection with amendments to the EDC Support Facility and
developments in connection with the EDC Support Facility and related security agreements subsequent
to September 30, 2004. Receivables securitization and certain lease financing transactions In January 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued FASB
Interpretation, or FIN, No. 46, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities  an Interpretation of
Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51, Consolidated Financial Statements, or FIN 46, and in
December 2003, the FASB issued a revision of FIN 46  FIN 46 (Revised 2003), or FIN 46R. FIN 46R
provides guidance with respect to the consolidation of variable interest entities, or VIEs. VIEs
are characterized as entities in which equity investors do not have a controlling financial
interest or there is not sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities
without additional subordinated financial support. Reporting entities which have a variable
interest in such an entity and are deemed to be the primary beneficiary must consolidate the
variable interest entity. 105




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Effective July 1, 2003, we began consolidating two VIEs under FIN 46R.
We were considered the primary beneficiary of these VIEs because we retained certain risks
associated with guaranteeing recovery of the unamortized principal balance of the VIEs debt. The
amount of the guarantees will be adjusted over time as the underlying debt matures. As of December
31, 2003, the consolidated balance sheet included $184 of long-term debt and $183 of net plant and
equipment related to these VIEs. These amounts represented both the collateral and maximum
exposure to loss as a result of our involvement with these VIEs. During the nine months ended
September 30, 2004, we purchased land and two buildings for $87 that were previously leased by us
through one of the VIEs that was consolidated under the provisions of FIN 46R. As a result, we
extinguished a debt of $87. We have also conducted certain receivable sales transactions either directly with financial
institutions or with multi-seller conduits. Under some of these agreements, we have continued as
servicing agent and/or have provided limited recourse. The fair value of these retained interests
is based on the market value of servicing the receivables, historical payment patterns, expected
future cash flows and appropriate discount rates as applicable. Where we have acted as the
servicing agent, we generally have not recorded an asset or liability related to servicing as the
annual servicing fees were equivalent to those that would have been paid to a third party servicing
agent. Also, we have not historically experienced significant credit losses with respect to
receivables sold with limited recourse. As of September 30, 2004, we were not required to, and did
not, consolidate or provide any of the additional disclosures set out in FIN 46R with respect to
the variable interest entities involving receivable sales. Additionally, we have agreed to indemnify some of our counterparties in certain receivables
securitization transactions. The indemnifications provided to counterparties in these types of
transactions may require us to compensate counterparties for costs incurred as a result of changes
in laws and regulations (including tax legislation) or in the interpretations of such laws and
regulations, or as a result of regulatory penalties that may be suffered by the counterparty as a
consequence of the transaction. Certain receivables securitization transactions include
indemnifications requiring the repurchase of the receivables if the particular transaction becomes
invalid. As of September 30, 2004, we had approximately $245 of securitized receivables which were
subject to repurchase under this provision, in which case, we would assume all rights to collect
such receivables. The indemnification provisions generally expire upon expiration of the
securitization agreements, which extend through 2005, or collection of the receivable amount by the
counterparty. We are generally unable to estimate the maximum potential liability for all of these
types of indemnification guarantees as certain agreements do not specify a maximum amount and the
amounts are dependent upon the outcome of future contingent events, the nature and likelihood of
which cannot be determined at this time. Historically, we have not made any significant
indemnification payments or receivable repurchases under these agreements and no significant
liability has been accrued in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements with
respect to the obligation associated with these guarantees. Other indemnifications or guarantees Through our normal course of business, we have also entered into other indemnifications or
guarantees that arise in various types of arrangements including:  
    
    third party debt agreements;
    
    business sale and business combination agreements;
    
    intellectual property indemnification obligations;
    
    lease agreements;
    
    indemnification of banks and agents under our credit and support facilities and security agreements; and
    
    other indemnification agreements. In the first nine months of 2004, we did not make any significant payments under any of these
indemnifications or guarantees. In certain cases, due to the nature of the agreement, we have not
been able to estimate our maximum potential loss or the maximum potential loss has not been
specified. For additional information, see Guarantees in note 12 of the accompanying unaudited
consolidated financial statements. Application of critical accounting estimates Our accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are based on the selection and
application of accounting policies generally accepted in the U.S., which require us to make
significant estimates and assumptions. We believe that the following accounting estimates may
involve a higher degree of judgment and complexity in their application and represent 106




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our critical accounting estimates: revenue recognition, provisions for doubtful accounts,
provisions for inventory, income taxes, goodwill valuation, pension and post-retirement benefits,
special charges and other contingencies. The application of these estimates requires us to make
subjective and objective judgments. In general, any changes in estimates or assumptions relating to revenue recognition, provisions for
doubtful accounts, provisions for inventory and other contingencies (excluding legal contingencies)
are directly reflected in the results of our reportable operating segments. Changes in estimates or
assumptions pertaining to our tax asset valuations, our pension and post-retirement benefits and
our legal contingencies are generally not reflected in our reportable operating segments, but are
reflected on a consolidated basis. We have discussed the application of these critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee
of our Board of Directors. We have not identified any changes to the nature of our critical accounting estimates as described
in our 2003 Annual Report other than the material changes in the recorded balances and other
updates noted below. For further information related to our critical accounting estimates, see our
2003 Annual Report. Provisions for doubtful accounts In establishing the appropriate provisions for trade, notes and long-term receivables due from
customers, we make assumptions with respect to their future collectibility. Our assumptions are
based on an individual assessment of a customers credit quality as well as subjective factors and
trends, including the aging of receivable balances. Generally, these individual credit assessments
occur prior to the inception of the credit exposure and at regular reviews during the life of the
exposure and consider:  
    
    a customers ability to meet and sustain its financial commitments;
    
    a customers current and projected financial condition;
    
    the positive or negative effects of the current and projected industry outlook; and
    
    the economy in general. Once we consider all of these individual factors, we make a determination as to the probability of
default. An appropriate provision is then made, which takes into consideration the severity of the
likely loss on the outstanding receivable balance based on our experience in collecting these
amounts. In addition to these individual assessments, in general, outstanding trade accounts
receivable amounts for which recovery is not expected that are greater than 365 days are fully provisioned for and amounts greater
than 180 days are 50% provisioned for. As part of our review of the
provision for doubtful accounts as of September 30, 2004, our
recent historical experience as to lower bad debt write-offs was
factored into the analysis so as to require a lesser percentage of
provisions for aged balances and accordingly, we reduced our provision for doubtful accounts by
approximately $27. This was recorded as a reduction to SG&A expense during the quarter ended
September 30, 2004 and was in addition to any adjustments related to our ongoing
provisioning process. We recorded net receivable recoveries, related to continuing operations, of $46 in the first nine
months of 2004 including the adjustment of $27 described above, compared to $112 in the first nine
months of 2003. The receivable provisions recorded in the first nine months of 2004 and the first
nine months of 2003 primarily related to normal business activity. In subsequent periods, we may be required to make adjustments once further information becomes
available or actual events occur. As a result, we may incur significant adjustments to our
provisions for trade, notes and long-term receivables. 107




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The following table summarizes our accounts receivable and long-term receivable balances and
related reserves of our continuing operations as of: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Gross accounts receivable
    
    $
    2,259
    
    
    $
    2,699Provision for doubtful accounts
    
    
    (125
    )
    
    
    (194
    )Accounts receivable  net
    
    $
    2,134
    
    
    $
    2,505Accounts receivable reserves as a percentage of gross accounts receivables
    
    
    6
    %
    
    
    7
    %Gross long-term receivables
    
    $
    393
    
    
    $
    386Provision for doubtful accounts
    
    
    (300
    )
    
    
    (297
    )Net long-term receivables
    
    $
    93
    
    
    $
    89Long-term receivable reserves as a percentage of gross long-term receivables
    
    
    76
    %
    
    
    77
    %
 Provisions for inventory Management must make estimates about the future customer demand for our products when
establishing the appropriate provisions for inventory. When making these estimates, we consider
general economic conditions and growth prospects within our customers ultimate marketplace, and
the market acceptance of our current and pending products. These judgments must be made in the
context of our customers shifting technology needs and changes in the geographic mix of our
customers. With respect to our provisioning policy, in general, we fully reserve for surplus
inventory in excess of our 365 day demand forecast or that we deem to be obsolete. Generally, our
inventory provisions have an inverse relationship with the projected demand for our products. For
example, our provisions usually increase as projected demand decreases due to adverse changes in
the conditions mentioned above. We have experienced significant changes in required provisions in
recent periods due to changes in strategic direction, such as discontinuances of product lines, as
well as declining market conditions. A misinterpretation or misunderstanding of any of these
conditions could result in inventory losses in excess of the provisions determined to be
appropriate as of the balance sheet date. We recorded inventory provisions and other reserves related to our contract manufacturers and
suppliers of $1,045 as of September 30, 2004 and $1,226 as of December 31, 2003. The decrease in
inventory provisions and other reserves was primarily due to our inventory levels being better
aligned to customer demand. The following table summarizes our inventory balances and other
related reserves of our continuing operations as of: September 30,
    
    
    December 31,2004
    
    
    2003Gross inventory
    
    $
    2,548
    
    
    $
    2,416Inventory provisions
    
    
    (1,045
    )
    
    
    (1,226
    )Net inventory
    
    $
    1,503
    
    
    $
    1,190Related inventory provisions as a percentage of gross inventory
    
    
    41
    %
    
    
    51
    %Other reserves for claims related to our contract manufacturers and suppliers (a)
    
    $
    (61
    )
    
    $
    (120
    )
 (a)
    
    This amount was included in other accrued liabilities and related to cancellation charges,
contracted for inventory in excess of future demand and the settlement of certain other
claims.
 As of September 30, 2004, our inventory provisions as a percentage of gross inventory was 41%.
In the future, we may be required to make significant adjustments to these provisions for the sale
and/or disposition of inventory that was previously provided for. Customers continued to be cautious with their capital expenditures in 2004. As a result, we will
continue to closely monitor our inventory provisions to ensure that they appropriately reflect the
current market conditions. However, the inventory provisions we have recorded in the past may not
be reflective of those in future quarters. 108




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Tax asset valuation Our net deferred tax assets balance, excluding discontinued operations, was $3,669 as of
September 30, 2004 and $3,575 as of December 31, 2003. The $94 increase was primarily due to the
impact of foreign exchange effects related primarily to the Canadian dollar and the British pound
and a reclassification of a portion of our deferred income tax liabilities to current income taxes
payable. We currently have deferred tax assets resulting from net operating loss carryforwards,
tax credit carryforwards and deductible temporary differences, all of which are available to reduce
future taxes payable in our significant tax jurisdictions. Generally, our loss carryforward
periods range from seven years to an indefinite period. As a result, we do not expect that a
significant portion of these carryforwards will expire in the near future. We assess the realization of these deferred tax assets quarterly to determine whether an income tax
valuation allowance is required. Based on available evidence, both positive and negative, we
determine whether it is more likely than not that all or a portion of the remaining net deferred
tax assets will be realized. The main factors that we consider include:  
    
    cumulative losses in recent years;
    
    history of loss carryforwards and other tax assets expiring;
    
    the carryforward period associated with the deferred tax assets;
    
    the nature of the income that can be used to realize the deferred tax assets;
    
    our net earnings/loss; and
    
    future earnings potential determined through the use of internal forecasts. In evaluating the positive and negative evidence, the weight given to each type of evidence must be
proportionate to the extent to which it can be objectively verified. If it is our belief that it
is more likely than not that some portion of these assets will not be realized, an income tax
valuation allowance is recorded. Primarily as a result of losses realized in 2001 and 2002, we concluded that it is not more likely
than not that a portion of our deferred income tax assets will be realized. Accordingly, a
valuation allowance has been recorded against these deferred income tax assets. However, due to
the fact that the majority of the carryforwards do not expire in the near future, our extended
history of earnings in our material tax jurisdictions exclusive of 2001 and 2002, and our future
expectations of earnings, we concluded that it is more likely than not that the net deferred income
tax asset recorded as of September 30, 2004 will be realized. In the nine months ended September 30, 2004, our gross income tax valuation allowances increased to
$3,455 as of September 30, 2004 compared to $3,344 as of December 31, 2003. The increase was
primarily due to additional valuation allowances recorded against current period losses and the
impacts of foreign exchange. We assessed positive evidence including forecasts of future taxable
income to support realization of the net deferred tax assets, and negative evidence including our
cumulative loss position, and concluded that the valuation allowances as of September 30, 2004 were
appropriate. If market conditions deteriorate further or future results of operations are less than expected,
future assessments may result in a determination that some or all of the net deferred tax assets
are not realizable. As a result, we may need to establish an additional tax valuation allowance
for all or a portion of the net deferred tax assets, which may have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations and financial condition. Alternatively, if our future results
of operations are better than expected, these assessments may result in the reduction of our
valuation allowances. Given the magnitude of our valuation allowance, future adjustments to this
allowance based on actual results could result in a significant adjustment to our net earnings. Accounting changes and recent accounting pronouncements Accounting changes Our unaudited consolidated financial statements are based on the selection and application of
U.S. GAAP. For more information related to the accounting policies that we adopted as a result of
new accounting standards, see Accounting changes in note 3 of the accompanying unaudited
consolidated financial statements. There were no accounting changes in the first quarter of 2004.
In the second quarter of 2004, we adopted FASB Staff Position FAS 106-2, Accounting and
Disclosure Requirements Related to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization
Act of 2004 which resulted in a decrease of $31 in our accrued post-retirement benefit obligation.
There were no accounting changes in the third quarter of 2004. 109




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The following summarizes the accounting changes that we adopted in the first nine months of 2003:  
    
    Stock-based compensation  we adopted SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based
Compensation  Transition and Disclosure  an Amendment of FASB Statement No. 123
which amended the transitional provisions of SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-based
Compensation, for companies electing to recognize employee stock-based compensation
using the fair value based method. Effective January 1, 2003 we elected to expense
employee stock-based compensation using the fair value based method prospectively for
all awards granted, modified, or settled on or after January 1, 2003. The impact of
the adoption of the fair value based method for expense recognition of employee awards
resulted in $7 and $19 (net of tax of nil) of stock option expense for the three and
nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively.
    
    Asset retirement obligations  we adopted SFAS No. 143, Accounting for Asset
Retirement Obligations, or SFAS 143, which resulted in an increase to net loss of $12
(net of tax of nil) which has been reported as a cumulative effect of accounting
changes  net of tax, an increase in plant and equipment  net of $4 and an asset
retirement obligation liability of $16 as of January 1, 2003. The adoption of SFAS 143
did not have a material impact on depreciation and accretion expense or basic and
diluted earnings (loss) per share.
    
    Accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of both
liabilities and equity  we adopted SFAS No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial
Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity which did not have a
material impact on our results of operations and financial condition. SFAS 150 is
effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003 and
otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after
June 15, 2003. Recent accounting pronouncements On December 8, 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of
2003, or the MPDIM Act, was signed into law in the U.S. The MPDIM Act introduced a prescription
drug benefit under Medicare (specifically, Medicare Part D) as well as a federal subsidy to
sponsors of retiree health care benefit plans that provide a benefit that is at least actuarially
equivalent to Medicare Part D. As permitted by FASB Staff Position, or FSP, Financial Accounting
Standard, or FAS, 106-1, Accounting and Disclosure Requirements Related to the Medicare
Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, we chose to make the one-time
deferral election which remained in effect for our plans in the U.S. until the earlier of the
issuance of specific authoritative guidance by the FASB on how to account for the federal subsidy
to be provided to plan sponsors under the MPDIM Act, or the remeasurement of plan assets and
obligations subsequent to January 31, 2004. Therefore, our post-retirement benefit obligation as
of December 31, 2003 and net post-retirement benefit cost for the year ended December 31, 2003 did
not reflect the effects of the MPDIM Act on the plans. On May 19, 2004, FSP FAS 106-2, Accounting
and Disclosure Requirements Related to the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and
Modernization Act of 2003, or FSP FAS 106-2, was issued by the FASB to provide guidance relating
to the prescription drug subsidy provided by the MPDIM Act. We expect to have portions of our
post-retirement benefit plans qualify as actuarially equivalent to the benefit provided under the
MPDIM Act, for which it expects to receive federal subsidies. We expect that other portions of the
plans will not be actuarially equivalent. The financial impact of the federal subsidies was
determined by remeasuring our retiree life and medical obligation as of January 1, 2004, as
provided under the retroactive application provision of FSP FAS 106-2. The effective date of FSP
FAS 106-2 is the first annual or interim period beginning after June 15, 2004, with earlier
adoption encouraged. We adopted FSP FAS 106-2 in the second quarter of 2004. As a result of
adoption, the accumulated post-retirement benefit obligation decreased by $31. Net periodic
post-retirement benefit costs decreased by $1 and $2 for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2004. In March 2004, the Emerging Issues Task Force, or EITF, reached consensus on Issue No. 03-1, The
Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain Investments, or EITF
03-1. EITF 03-1 provides guidance on determining when an investment is considered impaired, whether
that impairment is other than temporary and the measurement of an impairment loss. EITF 03-1 is
applicable to marketable debt and equity securities within the scope of SFAS No. 115, Accounting
for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities, or SFAS 115, and SFAS No. 124, Accounting
for Certain Investments Held by Not-for-Profit Organizations, and equity securities that are not
subject to the scope of SFAS 115 and not accounted for under the equity method of accounting. In
September 2004, the FASB issued FSP EITF 03-1-1, Effective Date of Paragraphs 10-20 of EITF Issue
No. 03-1, The Meaning of Other-Than-Temporary Impairment and Its Application to Certain
Investments, which delays the effective date for the measurement and recognition criteria
contained in EITF 03-1 until final application guidance is issued. The delay does not suspend the
requirement to recognize other-than-temporary impairments as required by existing authoritative
literature. The adoption of EITF 03-1 is not expected to have a material impact on our results of
operations and financial position. 110




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On September 30, 2004, the EITF reached a consensus on Issue No. 04-8, The Effect of Contingently
Convertible Debt on Diluted Earnings Per Share, or EITF 04-8, which addresses when the dilutive
effect of contingently convertible debt instruments should be included in diluted earnings (loss)
per share. EITF 04-8 requires that contingently convertible debt instruments be included in the
computation of diluted earnings (loss) per share regardless of whether the market price trigger has
been met. EITF 04-8 also requires that prior period diluted earnings (loss) per share amounts
presented for comparative purposes be restated. EITF 04-8 is effective for reporting periods
ending after December 15, 2004. The adoption of EITF 04-8 is not expected to have an impact on our
diluted earnings (loss) per share. In November 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 151, Inventory Costs, or SFAS 151. SFAS 151
requires that abnormal amounts of idle facility expense, freight, handling costs, and wasted
material (spoilage), be recognized as current-period charges rather than capitalized as a component
of inventory costs. In addition, SFAS 151 requires that allocation of fixed production overheads to
inventory based on the normal capacity of the production facilities. This statement is effective
for inventory costs incurred in fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. The guidance should
be applied prospectively. We are currently assessing the impact of SFAS 151 on our results of
operations and financial position. In December 2004, the FASB issued SFAS No. 123 (Revised 2004), Share-Based Payment, or SFAS 123R,
which requires all share-based payments to employees, including grants of employee stock options,
to be recognized as compensation expense in the consolidated financial statements based on their
fair values. SFAS 123R also modifies certain measurement and expense recognition provisions of
SFAS No. 123, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation that will impact us, including the
requirement to estimate employee forfeitures each period when recognizing compensation expense, and
requiring that the initial and subsequent measurement of the cost of liability based service awards
each period be based on the fair value (instead of the intrinsic value) of the award. This
statement is effective as of the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after June 15,
2005. We elected to expense employee stock-based compensation using the fair value method
prospectively for all awards granted or modified on or after January 1, 2003 in accordance with
SFAS No. 148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation  Transition and Disclosure  an Amendment
of FASB Statement No. 123. We are currently assessing the impact of SFAS 123R on our results of
operations and financial position. Canadian supplement New Canadian securities regulations allow issuers that are required to file reports with the
SEC, upon meeting certain conditions, to satisfy their Canadian continuous disclosure obligations
by using financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. We have provided the
following supplemental information to highlight the significant differences that would have
resulted in the MD&A had it been prepared using Canadian GAAP information. The principal continuing reconciling differences that affect consolidated net earnings (loss) under
Canadian GAAP are derivative accounting, financial instruments and goodwill impairment arising from
historical differences in carrying value. We adopted new Canadian accounting standards for asset
retirement obligations in 2004 and for stock option compensation in 2003 that are substantially
consistent with U.S. GAAP. Other historical differences between U.S. GAAP and Canadian GAAP were
primarily due to facts and circumstances related to prior years that are not expected to affect
future earnings (loss) under Canadian GAAP, including business combinations. See note 21 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements for a reconciliation
from U.S GAAP to Canadian GAAP, including a description of the material differences affecting our
consolidated statements of operations and consolidated balance sheets. There were no significant
differences affecting the consolidated statements of cash flows. Accounting changes For Canadian GAAP purposes, we adopted Accounting Guideline 13, Hedging Relationships, or
AcG-13, which establishes specific criteria for derivatives to qualify for hedge accounting
effective January 1, 2004. We had been previously applying these criteria under U.S. GAAP,
therefore, there was no impact on adoption of AcG-13. Concurrent with the adoption of AcG-13, we also adopted the CICAs Emerging Issues Committee, or
EIC, 128, Accounting for Trading, Speculative or Non-Hedging Derivative Financial Instruments, or
EIC 128, which requires that certain freestanding derivative instruments that give rise to a
financial asset or liability, and do not qualify for hedge accounting under AcG-13, be recognized
on the balance sheet and measured at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in earnings
(loss) in each period. As a result of the adoption of EIC 128, certain warrants, which had been
previously recorded at cost under Canadian GAAP, are required to be recorded at fair value
consistent with U.S. GAAP. The impact of this accounting change, which has been recorded
prospectively as at January 1, 2004, was an increase to investments and other income of $23 during
the nine months ended September 30, 2004. Under U.S. GAAP, we adopted SFAS 143 effective January 1, 2003, and recorded a cumulative effect of
accounting change, net of tax within net earnings (loss) on the date of adoption. We adopted
similar Canadian guidance, CICA Handbook Section 3110, Asset Retirement Obligations, effective
January 1, 2004, with retroactive restatement of prior periods. 111




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Under Canadian GAAP, the cumulative effect of adoption as of January 1, 2003 was recorded as an
adjustment to opening accumulated deficit, as opposed to an adjustment within net earnings (loss)
under U.S. GAAP, resulting in a difference of $12. Outstanding share data As at February 28, 2005, Nortel Networks Corporation had 4,268,236,086 outstanding common
shares. At February 28, 2005 , a total of approximately 294,486,311 issued and assumed stock
options were outstanding and are convertible into common shares of Nortel Networks Corporation on a
one-for-one basis . On June 12, 2002, concurrent with the offering of our common shares, 28,750 equity units were
offered, each initially evidencing ownership of a prepaid forward purchase contract, or purchase
contract, entitling the holder to receive our common shares, and specified zero-coupon U.S.
treasury strips. As of February 28, 2005, 3,840 purchase contracts were outstanding. The aggregate
number of our common shares issuable on the settlement date of the remaining purchase contracts
will be between approximately 65 million and 78 million shares, subject to some anti-dilution
adjustments (which include adjustments for a possible consolidation of our common shares),
depending on the applicable market value of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares. The
settlement date for each purchase contract is August 15, 2005, subject to acceleration or early
settlement in certain cases. See Risk factors/forward looking statements for additional
information. In addition, Nortel Networks Corporation previously issued U.S. $1.8 billion of 4.25 percent
Convertible Senior Notes, or Senior Notes, due on September 1, 2008. The Senior Notes are
convertible, at any time, by holders into common shares of Nortel Networks Corporation, at an
initial conversion price of $10 per common share, subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of
certain events including the potential consolidation of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares. Market risk Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact our unaudited consolidated financial
statements through adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. Our market risk exposure
results primarily from fluctuations in interest rates and foreign exchange rates. To manage the
risk from these fluctuations, we enter into various derivative-hedging transactions that we have
authorized under our policies and procedures. We maintain risk management control systems to
monitor market risks and counterparty risks. These systems rely on analytical techniques including
both sensitivity analysis and value-at-risk estimations. We do not hold or issue financial
instruments for trading purposes. Additional disclosure of our financial instruments is included in Financial instruments and
hedging activities in note 11 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. We manage foreign exchange exposures using forward and option contracts to hedge sale and purchase
commitments. Our most significant foreign exchange exposures are in the Canadian dollar, the
British pound and the euro. We enter into U.S. to Canadian dollar forward and option contracts
intended to hedge the U.S. to Canadian dollar exposure on future revenues and expenditure streams.
In accordance with SFAS No. 133, we recognize the gains and losses on the effective portion of
these contracts in income when the hedged transaction occurs. Any ineffective portion of these
contracts is recognized in income immediately. We expect to continue to expand our business globally and, as such, expect that an increasing
proportion of our business may be denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars. As a result,
fluctuations in foreign currencies may have a material impact on our business, results of
operations and financial condition. We try to minimize the impact of such currency fluctuations
through our ongoing commercial practices and by attempting to hedge our major currency exposures.
In attempting to manage this foreign exchange risk, we identify operations and transactions that
may have exposure based upon the excess or deficiency of foreign currency receipts over foreign
currency expenditures. Given our exposure to international markets, we regularly monitor all of
our material foreign currency exposures. We cannot predict whether we will incur foreign exchange
gains or losses in the future. However, if significant foreign exchange losses are experienced,
they could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition. A portion of our long-term debt is subject to changes in fair value resulting from changes in
market interest rates. We have hedged a portion of this exposure to interest rate volatility using
fixed for floating interest rate swaps. The change in fair value of the swaps are recognized in
earnings with offsetting amounts related to the change in the fair value of the hedged debt
attributable to interest rate changes. Any ineffective portion of the swaps is recognized in
income immediately. We 112




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record net settlements on these swap instruments as adjustments to interest expense. Historically, we have managed interest rate exposures, as they relate to interest expense, using a
diversified portfolio of fixed and floating rate instruments denominated in several major
currencies. We use sensitivity analysis to measure our interest rate risk. The sensitivity
analysis includes cash, our outstanding floating rate long-term debt and any outstanding
instruments that convert fixed rate long-term debt to floating rate. Equity price risk The values of our equity investments in several publicly traded companies are subject to
market price volatility. These investments are generally in companies in the technology industry
sector and are classified as available for sale. We typically do not attempt to reduce or
eliminate the market exposure on these investment securities. We also hold certain derivative
instruments or warrants that are subject to market price volatility because their value is based on
the common share price of a publicly traded company. These derivative instruments are generally
acquired through business acquisitions or divestitures. In addition, derivative instruments may
also be purchased to hedge exposure to certain compensation obligations that vary based on future
Nortel Networks Corporation common share prices. We do not hold equity securities or derivative
instruments for trading purposes. Environmental matters We are subject to numerous environmental protection laws and regulations in various
jurisdictions around the world, primarily due to manufacturing operations. As a result, we are
exposed to liabilities and compliance costs arising from our past and current generation,
management and disposition of hazardous substances and wastes. We have remedial activities under way at twelve of our facilities which are either currently
occupied or were previously owned or occupied. We have also been listed as a potentially
responsible party at six Superfund sites in the U.S. An estimate of our anticipated remediation
costs associated with all such facilities and sites, to the extent probable and reasonably
estimable, is included in our environmental accruals in an approximate amount of $31. For a discussion of Environmental matters, see Contingencies in note 19 of the accompanying
unaudited consolidated financial statements. Legal proceedings Nortel and/or certain of our directors and officers have been named as defendants in various
class action lawsuits. We are unable to determine the ultimate aggregate amount of monetary
liability or financial impact to us in these legal matters, which unless otherwise specified, seek
damages from the defendants of material or indeterminate amounts. We are also a defendant in
various other suits, claims, proceedings and investigations which are in the normal course of
business. We cannot determine whether these matters will, individually or collectively, have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.
We, and any of our named directors or officers, intend to vigorously defend these actions, suits,
claims, proceedings and investigations. We are also subject to significant pending civil
litigation and ongoing regulatory and criminal investigations in the U.S. and Canada which could
require us to pay substantial judgments, settlements, fines or other penalties. For additional
information related to our legal proceedings, see Contingencies in note 19 of the accompanying
unaudited consolidated financial statements, the Legal Proceedings section of this report and Risk
factors/forward looking statements. Risk factors/forward looking statements You should carefully consider the risks described below before investing in our securities.
The risks described below are not the only ones facing us. Additional risks not currently known to
us or that we currently believe are immaterial may also impair our business, results of operations,
financial condition and liquidity. Unless required by applicable securities laws, we do not have
any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as
a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Certain statements in this Quarterly Report onForm 10-Qcontain words such as could, expects,
may, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, plans, envisions, seeks and other
similar language and are considered forward looking statements. These statements are based on our
current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the 113




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operating environment, economies and markets in which we operate. In addition, other written or
oral statements which are considered forward looking may be made by us or others on our behalf.
These statements are subject to important risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which are difficult
to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different. In particular, the risks described
below could cause actual events to differ materially from those contemplated in forward looking
statements. Risks relating to our restatements and related matters Our two restatements of our consolidated financial statements and related events have had, and
will continue to have, a material adverse effect on us. In May 2003, we commenced certain balance sheet reviews at the direction of certain members of
former management that led to the Comprehensive Review, which resulted in the First Restatement.
In late October 2003, the Audit Committee initiated the Independent Review and engaged WCPHD to
advise it in connection with the Independent Review. The Audit Committee sought to gain a full
understanding of the events that caused significant excess liabilities to be maintained on the
balance sheet that needed to be restated, and to recommend that our Board of Directors adopt, and
direct management to implement, necessary remedial measures to address personnel, controls,
compliance and discipline. As the Independent Review progressed, the Audit Committee directed new
corporate management to examine in depth the concerns identified by WCPHD regarding provisioning
activity and to review certain provision releases. That examination, and other errors identified by
management, led to the Second Restatement and our revision of previously announced unaudited
results for the year ended December 31, 2003. The need for the Second Restatement resulted in
delays in filing the Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports. Over the course of the Second Restatement process, management identified certain accounting
practices that it determined should be adjusted as part of the Second Restatement. In particular,
management identified certain errors related to revenue recognition and undertook a process of
revenue reviews. In light of the resulting adjustments to revenues previously reported, the Audit
Committee has determined to review the facts and circumstances leading to the restatement of these
revenues for specific transactions identified in the Second Restatement. The review will have a
particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these
revenues. The Audit Committee will seek a full understanding of the historic events that required
the revenues for these specific transactions to be restated and will consider any appropriate
additional remedial measures, including those involving internal controls and processes. The Audit
Committee has engaged WCPHD to advise it in connection with this review. For more information on the Comprehensive Review, Independent Review, First Restatement, Second
Restatement and Revenue Independent Review, see the MD&A and Controls and Procedures sections
of this report. As a result of these events, we have become subject to the following key risks, each of which is
described in more detail below. Each of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.  
    
    We are subject to ongoing regulatory and criminal investigations in the
U.S. and Canada, which could require us to pay substantial fines or other penalties.
    
    We are subject to significant pending civil litigation, which if decided
against us, could require us to pay substantial judgments, settlements or other
penalties.
    
    Material adverse legal judgments, fines, penalties or settlements could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial
condition and liquidity, which could be very significant.
    
    We cannot predict the outcome of the Revenue Independent Review being
undertaken by our Audit Committee.
    
    We and our independent auditors have identified a number of material
weaknesses related to our internal control over financial reporting, which could
continue to impact our ability to report our results of operations and financial
condition accurately and in a timely manner.
    
    The governing principles of the Independent Review particularly as they
relate to remedial measures may take time to implement.
    
    The delayed filing of our Reports and related matters caused us to breach
our public debt indentures and seek 114




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waivers from EDC under the EDC Support Facility, which may affect our liquidity. The
delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports and related matters has
resulted and we expect will continue to result in a continuing
breach of our public debt indentures and our obligations under the EDC Support Facility.
It is possible that the holders of our public debt will seek to accelerate the maturity
of that debt and EDC will not grant us additional waivers.
    
    Our credit ratings have been downgraded, we are currently unable to access
our shelf registration statement filed with the SEC and we terminated the Five Year
Facilities, each of which may affect our liquidity.
    
    The delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports could cause the TSX and/or the
NYSE to commence suspension or delisting procedures in respect of Nortel Networks
Corporations common shares or other of our or NNLs listed securities.
    
    Continuing negative publicity may adversely affect our business and the
market price of our publicly traded securities.
    
    We may not be able to attract or retain the personnel necessary to achieve our business objectives.
    
    Ongoing SEC review may require us to amend our public disclosures further. We are subject to ongoing regulatory and criminal investigations in the U.S. and Canada, which
could require us to pay substantial fines or other penalties. We are under investigation by the SEC and the OSC. On April 5, 2004, we announced that the SEC had
issued a formal order of investigation in connection with our previous restatement of financial
results for certain periods and our announcements in March 2004 regarding the likely need to revise
certain previously announced results and restate previously filed financial results for one or more
earlier periods. On April 13, 2004, we announced that we had received a letter from the staff of the OSC advising us
of an OSC Enforcement Staff investigation into the same matters that are the subject of the SEC
investigation. We have also received a U.S. federal grand jury subpoena for the production of certain documents
sought in connection with an ongoing criminal investigation being conducted by the U.S. Attorneys
Office for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division. Further, the Integrated Market
Enforcement Team of the RCMP has advised us that it would be commencing a criminal investigation
into our financial accounting situation. Our senior management and Board of Directors have been required to devote significant time to these
investigations and related matters. We cannot predict when these investigations will be completed,
nor can we predict what the results of these investigations may be. Expenses incurred in connection
with these investigations (which include substantial fees of lawyers and other professional
advisors and potential obligations to indemnify officers and directors who may be parties to such
actions) could adversely affect our cash position. We may be required to pay material fines,
consent to injunctions on future conduct or suffer other penalties, each of which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.
The investigations may adversely affect our ability to obtain, and/or increase the cost of
obtaining, directors and officers liability insurance and/or other types of insurance, which
could have a material adverse affect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition. In addition, the findings and outcomes of the Independent Review and the Revenue
Independent Review and the regulatory and criminal investigations may affect the course of the
civil litigation pending against us, which are more fully described below. The effects and results of these or other investigations may have a material adverse effect on our
business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. We are subject to significant pending civil litigation, which if decided against us, could require
us to pay substantial judgments, settlements or other penalties. In addition to being subject to litigation in the ordinary course of business, we are currently,
and may in the future be, subject to class actions, other securities litigation and other actions
arising in relation to our accounting restatements. Subsequent to our March 10, 2004 announcement
of the likely need for the Second Restatement, numerous class action complaints, including ERISA
class action complaints and a derivative action complaint, have been filed against Nortel and
certain current and former officers and directors. We expect that this litigation will be time consuming, expensive and distracting from the conduct
of our daily business. The 115




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adverse resolution of any specific lawsuit could have a material adverse effect on our ability to
favorably resolve other lawsuits and on our financial condition and liquidity. We are unable at
this time to estimate what our ultimate liability in these matters may be, and it is possible that
we will be required to pay substantial judgments, settlements or other penalties and incur expenses
that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial
condition and liquidity, and such effects could be very significant. Expenses incurred in
connection with these matters (which include substantial fees of lawyers and other professional
advisors and potential obligations to indemnify officers and directors who may be parties to such
actions) could adversely affect our cash position. We cannot predict the outcome of the Revenue Independent Review being undertaken by our Audit
Committee. As discussed in greater detail in the Controls and Procedures section of this report, our Audit
Committee initiated the Revenue Independent Review to achieve a full understanding of the historic
events that required revenues for certain specific transactions to be restated. The Revenue
Independent Review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the
initial recognition of these revenues. The review will also consider any appropriate additional
remedial measures, including those involving internal controls and processes. The Audit Committee
has engaged WCPHD to advise it in connection with this review. We cannot predict the outcome of
the Revenue Independent Review. Material adverse legal judgments, fines, penalties or settlements could have a material adverse
effect on our financial condition and liquidity, which could be very significant. We estimate that our available cash and our cash flow from operations will be adequate to fund our
operations and service our debt for at least the next 12 months. In making this estimate, we have
not assumed the need to make any payments in connection with our pending civil litigation or
investigations including those related to the First Restatement and Second Restatement, other than
our anticipated professional fees and expenses. Any material adverse legal judgments, fines,
penalties or settlements arising from the pending civil litigation and investigations could require
additional funding which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. This
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition
and liquidity, including by:  
    
    requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash and/or cash flow from
operations to payments of such judgments, fines, penalties or settlements, thereby reducing
the availability of our cash and/or cash flow to fund working capital, capital
expenditures, R&D efforts and other general corporate purposes, including debt reduction;
    
    making it more difficult for us to satisfy our payment obligations with respect to our outstanding indebtedness;
    
    increasing the difficulty and/or cost to us of refinancing our indebtedness;
    
    increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
    
    limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our businesses and
the industries in which we operate;
    
    making it more difficult for us to make acquisitions and investments;
    
    limiting our ability to obtain, and/or increase the cost of obtaining, directors and
officers liability insurance and/or other types of insurance; and
    
    restricting our ability to introduce new technologies and products and/or exploit
business opportunities. 116




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We and our independent auditors have identified a number of material weaknesses related to our
internal control over financial reporting, which could continue to impact our ability to report our
results of operations and financial condition accurately and in a timely manner. Two material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting were identified at the
time of the First Restatement. Over the course of Second Restatement, we and D&T identified a
number of additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. D&T
confirmed to the Audit Committee these material weaknesses, listed below, on January 10, 2005:  
    
    lack of compliance with written Nortel procedures for monitoring and adjusting balances
related to certain accruals and provisions, including restructuring charges and contract
and customer accruals;
    
    lack of compliance with Nortel procedures for applying applicable GAAP to the initial
recording of certain liabilities, including those described in SFAS No. 5, and to foreign
currency translation as described in SFAS No. 52;
    
    lack of sufficient personnel with appropriate knowledge, experience and training in
U.S. GAAP and lack of sufficient analysis and documentation of the application of U.S.
GAAP to transactions, including but not limited to revenue transactions;
    
    lack of a clear organization and accountability structure within the accounting
function, including insufficient review and supervision, combined with financial reporting
systems that are not integrated and which require extensive manual interventions;
    
    lack of sufficient awareness of, and timely and appropriate remediation of, internal
control issues by Nortel personnel; and
    
    an inappropriate tone at the top, which contributed to the lack of a strong control
environment; as reported in the Independent Review Summary referred to in the Controls
and Procedures section of this report, there was a Management tone at the top that
conveyed the strong leadership message that earnings targets could be met through
application of accounting practices that finance managers knew or ought to have known were
not in compliance with U.S. GAAP and that questioning these practices was not acceptable. Upon completion of managements assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as of
December 31, 2004 pursuant to SOX 404, we currently expect to conclude that the first five of these
six material weaknesses continue to exist as of December 31, 2004, and we continue to identify,
develop and begin to implement remedial measures to address them. These material weaknesses, if not
fully addressed, could result in accounting errors such as those underlying the restatements of our
consolidated financial statements more fully discussed in Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel
Audit Committee Independent Review; restatements; related matters in the MD&A and Controls and
Procedures section of this report. While our Board of Directors has approved the adoption of all
of the recommendations for remedial measures contained in the Summary of Findings and of
Recommended Remedial Measures of the Independent Review referred to in the Controls and
Procedures section of this report, and our management has adopted a number of measures to
strengthen our internal control over financial reporting and address the material weaknesses
identified above, we may be unable to address such material weaknesses in a timely manner, which
could adversely impact the accuracy and timeliness of future reports and filings we make with the
SEC and OSC. In addition, starting with our fiscal year 2004 Annual Report on Form 10-K, we must comply with SOX
404 and the related SEC rules, which require management to assess the effectiveness of our internal
control over financial reporting annually and to include in our Annual Report on Form 10-K a
management report on that assessment, together with an attestation by our independent registered
public accounting firm. In light of the material weaknesses identified in connection with the First
Restatement and Second Restatement, our management expects to conclude that our internal control
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2004 is ineffective, and D&T has advised us that they
expect their report on managements assessment of internal control over financial reporting also to
indicate that internal control over financial reporting is ineffective. While we are implementing
steps to ensure the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, failure to
restore the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting could continue to impact
our ability to report our financial condition and results of operations accurately and could have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity. The governing principles of the Independent Review for remedial measures may take time to
implement. As a result of the Independent Review, a number of significant remedial steps have been identified
as necessary to improve our process and procedures. These remedial steps may take time to
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governing principles of the Independent Review may be time consuming for our senior management and
disrupt our business. The delayed filing of our Reports and related matters caused us to breach our public debt
indentures and seek waivers from EDC under the EDC Support Facility, which may affect our
liquidity. The delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports and related
matters has resulted and we expect will continue to result in a
breach of our public debt indentures and our obligations under the EDC Support Facility. It is
possible that the holders of our public debt will seek to accelerate the maturity of that debt and
EDC will not grant us additional waivers. As a result of the delayed filing of our Reports, we and NNL breached our obligations to deliver
the Reports to the trustees under our and NNLs public debt indentures. The delay in filing the
2004 Annual Reports has resulted in a further breach of our and NNLs obligations under these
indentures. While the delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports will not result in an automatic
event of default and acceleration of the outstanding debt, if holders of 25% of the outstanding
principal amount of any relevant series of debt securities provide notice of this non-compliance
and we or NNL, as applicable, fail to file and deliver the 2004 Annual Reports within 90 days after
the notice is provided, then the trustee under the indenture or the holders will have the right to
accelerate the maturity of the relevant series of debt securities. While such notice could have
been given any time after March 30, 2004, neither we nor NNL has received a notice as of the date
of this report. If the required percentage of holders under one series of debt securities were to
give such a notice and, after the 90 day cure period expired, were to accelerate the maturity of
such series of debt securities, then the principal amount of each other series of debt securities
could, upon 10 days notice, be accelerated without the lapse of an additional 90 day cure period.
If an acceleration of our debt securities were to occur, we may be unable to meet our payment
obligations. As previously reported, based on publicly available information as of January 10, 2005, we had
reason to believe that at that time more than 25% of the outstanding principal amount of the $150
of 7.875% notes due June 2026 issued by a subsidiary of NNL and
guaranteed by us were held by one
holder, or a group of related holders. Other than with respect to that series of debt securities,
based on such publicly available information, neither we nor NNL were aware of any holder, or group
of related holders, that held at least 25% of the outstanding principal amount of any relevant
series of debt securities. However, based on such publicly available information, we had reason to
believe that there was sufficient concentration among holders of the $150 of 7.40% notes due June
2006 issued by NNL that the acquisition of a relatively small additional amount of these notes by
certain holders could result in a holder or a group of related holders holding 25% or more of the
outstanding principal amount of these notes. We and NNL are not in a position to update this
information. See Liquidity and capital resources. As a result of the delayed filing of our Reports and the Related Breaches, we were also required to
seek waivers from EDC under the EDC Support Facility. Our delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports
required us to seek an additional waiver from EDC. If we and NNL do not file the 2004 Annual
Reports by April 30, 2005, EDC would have the right to terminate the EDC Support Facility, require
cash collateral, or exercise its rights against the collateral pledged under the related security
agreements. In addition, the Related Breaches will continue beyond the filing of the 2004 Annual
Reports. Accordingly, EDC will have the right (absent a further waiver of the Related Breaches) to
terminate or suspend the EDC Support Facility notwithstanding the filing of the 2004 Annual Reports
beginning on the earlier of the date the 2004 Annual Reports have been filed with the SEC, or April
30, 2005. While NNL is seeking a permanent waiver from EDC in connection with the Related
Breaches, there can be no assurance that NNL will receive such
waiver, or any such waiver or as to the
terms of any such waiver. Any future delay in the filing of our periodic reports with the SEC would similarly result in a
breach of our public debt indentures and require us to seek additional waivers from EDC under the
EDC Support Facility, which could reduce our access to the EDC Support Facility and may adversely
affect our liquidity. Our credit ratings have been downgraded, we are currently unable to access our shelf registration
statement filed with the SEC and NNL terminated the Five Year Facilities, each of which may
adversely affect our liquidity. On April 28, 2004, S&P downgraded its ratings of NNL, including its long-term corporate credit
rating from B to B and its preferred share rating from CCC to CCC. At the same time, it
revised its outlook to developing from negative. Moodys current long-term debt rating for NNL is
B3 and its preferred share rating is Caa3. On April 28, 2004, Moodys changed its outlook to
potential downgrade from uncertain. These ratings are below investment grade. Our credit ratings
could be lowered or rating agencies could issue adverse commentaries in the future, which could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and
liquidity. These ratings and our current credit condition affect, among other things, our ability
to raise debt, access the commercial paper market (which is currently closed to us), engage in
alternative financing arrangements, and affect our ability, and the cost to securitize receivables,
obtain 118




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customer bid, performance-related and other bonds and contracts, access the EDC Support Facility
and/or enter into normal course derivative or hedging transactions and also affect the price of our
stock. As a result of a ratings downgrade in 2002, security agreements became effective under which
substantially all of NNLs assets located in the U.S. and Canada and those of most of our U.S. and
Canadian subsidiaries, including the shares of certain of NNLs U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries,
were pledged. In addition, certain of NNLs wholly owned subsidiaries have guaranteed NNLs
obligations under the EDC Support Facility and NNLs and Nortels outstanding debt securities.
These agreements will continue to secure the EDC Support Facility and our and NNLs outstanding
public debt until the EDC Support Facility expires, alternative collateral is provided, alternative
arrangements are made, or NNLs public debt ratings return to at least BBB (stable outlook) by S&P
and Baa2 (stable outlook) by Moodys. The continued existence of these security arrangements may
adversely affect our ability to incur additional debt or obtain alternative financing arrangements.
In addition, EDC is not obligated to make any support available under the EDC Support Facility if
NNLs senior long-term rating by Moodys is downgraded to less than B3 or if its debt rating by S&P
is downgraded to less than B. In addition, in April 2004, NNL terminated the Five Year Facilities. Absent this termination, the
banks would have been permitted, upon 30 days notice, to terminate their commitments under the
Five Year Facilities as a result of NNLs failure to file the NNL 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K
by April 29, 2004. Although the Five Year Facilities were undrawn at termination, this termination
may adversely affect our liquidity. Further, the delayed filing of the Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports has resulted in our
inability to use, in its current form, the remaining approximately $800 of capacity under our shelf
registration statement filed with the SEC for various types of securities. As a result, our
ability to access the capital markets is constrained, which may adversely affect our liquidity. The delay in filing the 2004 Annual Reports could cause the Toronto Stock Exchange and/or the New
York Stock Exchange to commence suspension or delisting procedures in respect of Nortel Networks
Corporation common shares or other of our or NNLs listed securities. Although we have filed our and NNLs 2003 Annual Reports and the 2004 Quarterly Reports, the delay in
filing the 2004 Annual Reports has caused us to continue to be in
breach of the TSX and NYSE listing
requirements. Although each of the NYSE and TSX had previously verbally confirmed that it has not commenced,
nor has any intention of commencing, any suspension or delisting procedures in respect of our and
NNLs listed securities, the commencement of any suspension or delisting
procedures by either exchange remains, at all times, at the discretion of such exchange and would
be publicly announced by the exchange. If a suspension or delisting were to occur, there would be significantly less liquidity in the
suspended or delisted securities. In addition, our ability to raise additional necessary capital
through equity or debt financing, and attract and retain personnel by means of equity compensation,
would be greatly impaired. Furthermore, with respect to any suspended or delisted securities, we
would expect decreases in institutional and other investor demand, analyst coverage, market making
activity and information available concerning trading prices and volume, and fewer broker-dealers
would be willing to execute trades with respect to such securities. A suspension or delisting would
likely decrease the attractiveness of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares or other listed
securities of Nortel Networks Corporation and NNL to investors and cause the trading volume of our
common shares or other listed securities of Nortel Networks Corporation and NNL to decline, which
could result in a decline in the market price of such securities. Continuing negative publicity may adversely affect our business and the market price of our
publicly traded securities. As a result of the First Restatement and Second Restatement, we have been the subject of continuing
negative publicity. This negative publicity has contributed to significant declines in the prices
of our publicly traded securities. This negative publicity may have an effect on the terms under
which some customers and suppliers are willing to continue to do business with us and could affect
our financial performance or financial condition. We also believe that many of our employees are
operating under stressful conditions, which reduce morale and could lead to increased employee
turnover. Continuing negative publicity could have a material adverse effect on our business and
the market price of our publicly traded securities. As a result of the delay in the filing of the 2004 Annual Reports (containing our audited
consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2004), we were required to apply
to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice for an order permitting the postponement of our 2004
Annual Shareholders Meeting, or the Meeting. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted that
order, which permitted us to extend the time for calling the Meeting to a date not later than June
30, 2005. The order permits us to comply with a specific SEC
rule which would require us 119




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in our circumstances, to provide to shareholders our 2004 audited
financial statements either prior to or concurrently with the mailing of proxy materials for the
Meeting. This postponement has, among other things, contributed to the continuing negative
publicity related to us, which may adversely affect our business and the market price of our
publicly traded securities. We may not be able to attract or retain the personnel necessary to achieve our business objectives. Competition for certain key positions and specialized technical personnel in the high-technology
industry remains strong. Our future success depends in part on our continued ability to hire,
assimilate in a timely manner and retain qualified personnel, particularly in key senior management
positions and in our key areas of potential growth. An important factor in attracting and
retaining qualified employees is our ability to provide employees with the opportunity to
participate in the potential growth of our business through programs such as stock option plans,
restricted stock unit plans and employee investment and share purchase plans. The scope and value
of these programs will be adversely affected by the volatility or negative performance of the
market price for our common shares. In connection with the delay in filing our 2003 Annual Reports, as of March 10, 2004, we suspended
the purchase of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares under the stock purchase plans for
eligible employees in eligible countries that facilitate the acquisition of Nortel Networks
Corporation common shares; the exercise of outstanding options granted under the 2000 Plan or the
1986 Plan, or the grant of any additional options under those plans, or the exercise of outstanding
options granted under employee stock option plans previously assumed by us in connection with
mergers and acquisitions; and the purchase of units in Nortels stock fund or purchase of Nortel
Networks Corporation common shares under our defined contribution and investments plans until such
time as, at the earliest, we are in compliance with U.S. and Canadian regulatory securities filing
requirements. On May 31, 2004, the OSC issued a final order prohibiting all trading by our
directors, officers and certain current and former employees in Nortel Networks Corporations
securities and those of NNL. This order will remain in effect until two full business days
following the receipt by the OSC of all filings required to be made by us and NNL pursuant to
Ontario securities law. Accordingly, our ability to provide employees with the opportunity to
participate in Nortel stock option plans, restricted stock unit plans and employee investment and
share purchase plans has been adversely affected and certain employees have not been able to trade
in our securities. The current suspension of these programs and OSC trading order, and any future
suspension or OSC order, may have a material adverse effect on our ability to hire, assimilate in a
timely manner and retain qualified personnel. In addition, in 2004 we terminated for cause our former president and chief executive officer,
former chief financial officer, former controller and seven additional individuals with significant
responsibilities for financial reporting. We have also commenced litigation against our former
president and chief executive officer, former chief financial officer and former controller,
seeking the return of payments made to them under our bonus plan in 2003. In August and September
2004, as part of our new strategic plan, we announced an anticipated workforce reduction of
approximately 3,250 employees. Approximately 64% of employee actions related to the focused
workforce reduction were completed by the end of 2004, including approximately 55% that were
notified of termination or acceptance of voluntary retirement, with the remainder comprised of
voluntary attrition of employees that were not replaced. The remainder of employee actions are
expected to be completed by June 30, 2005. In addition, in 2001, 2002 and 2003, we implemented a
company-wide restructuring plan, which included a reduction of approximately two-thirds of our
workforce over the three-year period. We may find it more difficult to attract or retain qualified employees because of our recent
significant workforce reductions, business performance, management changes, restatement activities
and resulting negative publicity and the resulting impacts on our incentive programs and incentive
compensation plans. If we have not properly sized our workforce and retained those employees with
the appropriate skills, our ability to compete effectively may be adversely affected. We are also
more dependent on those employees we have retained, as many have taken on increased
responsibilities due to workforce reductions. If we are not successful in attracting, recruiting
or retaining qualified employees, including members of senior management, we may not have the
personnel necessary to achieve our business objectives, including the implementation of our
remedial measures. Ongoing SEC review may require us to amend our public disclosures further. We have received comments on our periodic filings from the staff of the SECs Division of
Corporation Finance. As part of this comment process, we may receive further comments from the
staff of the SEC relating to this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our other periodic filings. As
a result, we may be required by the SEC to amend this Form 10-Q or other reports filed with the SEC
in order to make adjustments or additional disclosures. However, we do not believe that it will be
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to amend our 2002 Form 10-K/A or 2003 Form 10-Qs due to, among other factors, the identified
material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, the significant turnover in
our finance personnel, changes in accounting systems, documentation weaknesses, a likely inability
to obtain third party corroboration in certain cases due to the substantial industry adjustment in
recent years and the passage of time generally. Amendments to our prior filings would be required
for us to be in full compliance with our Exchange Act reporting obligations. Risks relating to our business We continue to restructure our business to respond to industry and market conditions. The
assumptions underlying our restructuring efforts may prove to be inaccurate and we may have to
restructure our business again in the future. We continue to restructure our business to realign resources and achieve desired cost savings in an
increasingly competitive market. Our new strategic plan includes an anticipated further workforce
reduction of approximately 3,250 employees. We have based our restructuring efforts on certain
assumptions regarding the cost structure of our business. Our current assumptions may or may not
be correct and as a result, we may determine that further restructuring in the future will be
needed. Our restructuring efforts may not be sufficient for us to achieve improved results and
meet the changes in industry and market conditions, including increased competition. In
particular, we face increased competition from low cost competitors such as Huawei Technologies
Co., Ltd. and ZTE Corporation. We must manage the potentially higher growth areas of our business,
as well as the non-core areas, in order for us to achieve improved results. We have made, and will continue to make, judgments as to whether we should further reduce our
workforce or exit, or dispose of, certain businesses. These workforce reductions may impair our
ability to achieve our current or future business objectives. Costs incurred in connection with
restructuring efforts may be higher than estimated. Any decision by management to further limit
investment or exit, or dispose of, businesses may result in the recording of additional charges.
As a result, the costs actually incurred in connection with the restructuring efforts may be higher
than originally planned and may not lead to the anticipated cost savings and/or improved results. As part of our review of restructured businesses, we look at the recoverability of their tangible
and intangible assets. Future market conditions may trigger further write downs of these assets
due to uncertainties in:  
    
    the estimates and assumptions used in asset valuations, which are based on our
forecasts of future business performance; and
    
    accounting estimates related to the useful life and recoverability of the net
book value of these assets, including inventory, goodwill, net deferred taxes and other
intangible assets. We will continue to review our restructuring work plan based on our ongoing assessment of the
industry and the business environment. Our operating results have historically been subject to yearly and quarterly fluctuations and are
expected to continue to fluctuate, which may adversely affect the market price of our publicly
traded securities. Our operating results have historically been, and are expected to continue to be, subject to
quarterly and yearly fluctuations as a result of a number of factors. These factors include:  
    
    our ability to execute our strategic plan, including the planned workforce
reductions, without negatively impacting our relationships with our customers, the delivery
of products based on new and developing technologies at competitive prices, the
effectiveness of our internal processes and organizations and the retention of qualified
personnel;
    
    our ability to focus on the day-to-day operation of our business while
implementing improvements in our internal controls and procedures, including our accounting
systems, and addressing the civil litigation actions and investigations related to our
restatements;
    
    our ability to successfully implement programs to stimulate customer spending
by anticipating and offering the kinds of products and services customers will require in
the future to increase the efficiency and profitability of their networks;
    
    our ability to successfully complete programs on a timely basis to reduce our
cost structure, including fixed costs, to streamline our operations and to reduce product
costs;
    
    our ability to successfully comply with increased and complex regulations; 121




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
    
    our ability to focus our business on what we believe to be potentially higher
growth, higher margin businesses and to dispose of or exit non-core businesses;
    
    increased price and product competition in the networking industry, including
from low cost competitors;
    
    the inherent uncertainties of using forecasts, estimates and assumptions for
asset valuations and in determining the amounts of accrued liabilities, provisions and
other items in our consolidated financial statements;
    
    the impact of changes in global capital markets and interest rates on our pension plan assets and obligations;
    
    fluctuations in our gross margins;
    
    the development, introduction and market acceptance of new technologies, and
integrated networking solutions, as well as the adoption of new networking standards;
    
    the overall trend toward industry consolidation and rationalization among our
customers, competitors and suppliers;
    
    our ability to make investments, including acquisitions, to strengthen our business;
    
    the ability of our customers and suppliers to obtain financing to fund capital expenditures;
    
    variations in sales channels, product costs and the mix of products sold;
    
    the size and timing of customer orders and shipments;
    
    our ability to continue to obtain customer performance bonds and contracts;
    
    our ability to maintain appropriate inventory levels;
    
    the impact of acquired businesses and technologies;
    
    our ability to fund and sustain our research and development activities;
    
    the impact of our product development schedules, product quality variances,
manufacturing capacity and lead times required to produce our products; and
    
    the impact of higher insurance premiums and deductibles and greater
limitations on insurance coverage. Our decision to adopt fair value accounting for employee stock options on a prospective basis as of
January 1, 2003 has caused us to record an expense over the stock option vesting period, based on
the fair value at the date the options are granted, and could have a significant negative effect on
our reported results. Additionally, we are required to perform goodwill impairment tests on an annual basis and between
annual tests in certain circumstances, to value our deferred tax assets and to partially accrue
unfunded pension liabilities, each of which may result in a negative effect on our reported
results. We enter into agreements that may require us to make certain indemnification payments to third
parties in the event of certain changes in an underlying economic characteristic related to assets,
liabilities or equity securities of such third parties. The occurrence of events that may cause us
to become liable to make an indemnification payment is not within our control and an obligation to
make a significant indemnification payment under such agreements could have a significant negative
effect on our reported results. As a consequence, operating results for a particular future period are difficult to predict, and
therefore, prior results are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected in future
periods. Any of the foregoing factors, or any other factors described herein, could have a
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition that could
adversely affect the price of our publicly traded securities. Global economic conditions and other trends and factors affecting the telecommunications industry
are beyond our control and may result in reduced demand and pricing pressure on our products. There are trends and factors affecting the industry that are beyond our control and may affect our
operations. These trends and factors include:  
    
    adverse changes in the public and private equity and debt markets and our
ability, as well as the ability of our customers and suppliers, to obtain financing or to
fund working capital and capital expenditures;
    
    adverse changes in the credit quality of our customers and suppliers;
    
    adverse changes in the market conditions in our industry and the specific markets for our products;
    
    the trend towards the sale of converged networking solutions, which could lead
to reduced capital spending on multiple networks by our customers;
    
    visibility to, and the actual size and timing of, capital expenditures by our customers;
    
    inventory practices, including the timing of product and service deployment, of our customers; 122




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
    
    the amount of network capacity and the network capacity utilization rates of
our customers, and the amount of sharing and/or acquisition of new and/or existing network
capacity by our customers;
    
    policies of our customers regarding utilization of single or multiple vendors
for the products they purchase;
    
    the overall trend toward industry consolidation and rationalization among our
customers, competitors and suppliers;
    
    conditions in the broader market for communications products, including data
networking products and computerized information access equipment and services;
    
    increased price competition, particularly from low cost competitors;
    
    changes in legislation or accounting rules and governmental and environmental
regulation or intervention affecting communications or data networking;
    
    computer viruses, break-ins and similar disruptions from unauthorized
tampering with our computer systems; and
    
    acts of war or terrorism that could lead to disruptions in general global
economic activity, changes in logistics and security arrangements and reduced customer
demand for our products and services. Cautious capital spending in our industry has affected, and could affect, demand for, or pricing
pressures on, our products. Our gross margins may decline, which would reduce our operating results and could contribute to
volatility in the market price of our publicly traded securities. Our gross margins may be negatively affected as a result of a number of factors, including:  
    
    increased price competition, particularly from low cost competitors;
    
    increased industry consolidation among our customers may lead
to downward pricing pressure on the prices of our products;
    
    changes in product and geographic mix;
    
    customer and contract settlement costs;
    
    higher product, material or labor costs;
    
    increased inventory provisions or contract and customer settlement costs;
    
    warranty costs;
    
    obsolescence charges;
    
    loss of cost savings on future inventory purchases as a result of high inventory levels;
    
    introduction of new products and costs of entering new markets;
    
    increased levels of customer services;
    
    changes in distribution channels;
    
    excess capacity or excess fixed assets;
    
    accruals for employee incentive bonuses;
    
    further restructuring costs; and
    
    costs related to our restatements, including the possibility of substantial
fines, settlements and/or damages or other penalties, and/or remedial actions. Lower than expected gross margins would negatively affect our operating results and could
contribute to volatility in the market price of our publicly traded securities. Cash flow fluctuations may affect our ability to fund our working capital requirements or achieve
our business objectives in a timely manner. Additional sources of funds may not be available or
may not be available on acceptable terms. Our working capital requirements and cash flows historically have been, and are expected to
continue to be, subject to quarterly and yearly fluctuations, depending on such factors as timing
and size of capital expenditures, levels of sales, timing of deliveries and collection of
receivables, inventory levels, customer payment terms, customer financing obligations and supplier
terms and conditions. In addition, if the industry or our current condition deteriorates,
notwithstanding the EDC Support Facility, an increased portion of our cash and cash equivalents may
be restricted as cash collateral for customer performance bonds and contracts. We believe our
cash on hand will be sufficient to fund our current business model, manage our investments and meet
our customer commitments for at least the next 12 months. In making this estimate, we have not
made provision for any material payments in connection with our pending civil litigation actions
and investigations related to the First Restatement and Second Restatement, other than our
anticipated professional fees and expenses. Any material adverse legal judgments, fines, penalties
or settlements arising from these pending civil litigation actions and 123




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investigations could require additional funding which may not be available on commercially
reasonable terms, or at all. This could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, which
could be very significant. In addition, a greater than expected slow down in capital spending by service providers and other
customers may require us to adjust our current business model. As a result, our revenues and cash
flows may be materially lower than we expect and we may be required to further reduce our capital
expenditures and investments or take other measures in order to meet our cash requirements. We may seek additional funds from liquidity-generating transactions and other sources of external
financing (which may include a variety of debt, convertible debt and/or equity financings). We
cannot provide any assurance that our net cash requirements will be as we currently expect, that we
will continue to have access to the EDC Support Facility when and as needed, or that
liquidity-generating transactions or financings will be available to us on acceptable terms or at
all. Our inability to manage cash flow fluctuations resulting from the above factors and the
potential reduction, expiry or termination of the EDC Support Facility could have a material
adverse effect on our ability to fund our working capital requirements from operating cash flows
and other sources of liquidity or to achieve our business objectives in a timely manner. We may be materially and adversely affected by cautious capital spending by our customers. The
loss of customers in certain markets could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition. Our consolidated revenues in 2004 are expected to be slightly lower compared to 2003. Our 2003
consolidated revenues included revenues that were deferred from prior periods. Continued
cautiousness in capital spending by service providers and other customers may affect our revenues
more than we currently expect. Our revenues and operating results have been and may continue to be
materially and adversely affected by the continued cautiousness in capital spending by our
customers. We have focused on the larger customers in certain markets, which provide a substantial
portion of our revenues. Increased industry consolidation among our customers may lead to downward
pressure on the prices of our products, increased pricing pressures or a loss, reduction or delay
in business from one or more of our customers. A reduction or delay in business from one or more
of these customers, or a failure to achieve a significant market share with these customers, could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. Our business may be materially and adversely affected by our high level of debt. In order to finance our business, we have incurred significant levels of debt compared to
historical levels, and we may need to obtain additional sources of funding, which may include debt
or convertible debt financing, in the future. A high level of debt, arduous or restrictive terms
and conditions related to accessing certain sources of funding, failure to meet the covenants in
the EDC Support Facility and any significant reduction in, or access to, such facility, poor
business performance or lower than expected cash inflows could materially and adversely affect our
ability to fund the operation of our business. Other effects of a high level of debt include the following:  
    
    we may have difficulty borrowing money in the future or accessing other
sources of funding;
    
    we may need to use a large portion of our cash flow from operations to pay
principal and interest on our indebtedness, which would reduce the amount of cash available
to finance our operations and other business activities;
    
    a high debt level, arduous or restrictive terms and conditions, or lower than
expected cash flows would make us more vulnerable to economic downturns and adverse
developments in our business; and
    
    if operating cash flows are not sufficient to meet our operating expenses,
capital expenditures and debt service requirements as they become due, we may be required,
in order to meet our debt service obligations, to delay or reduce capital expenditures or
the introduction of new products, sell assets and/or forego business opportunities
including acquisitions, research and development projects or product design enhancements. An increased portion of our cash and cash equivalents may be restricted as cash collateral if we
are unable to secure alternative support for certain obligations arising out of our normal course
business activities. The EDC Support Facility may not provide all the support we require for certain of our obligations
arising out of our normal course of business activities. In particular, although this facility
provides for up to $750 in support, the $300 revolving small bond sub-facility will not become
committed support until the 2004 Annual Reports are filed and NNL obtains a permanent waiver of the
Related Breaches. As of March 14, 2005, there was approximately $239 of outstanding support
utilized under 124




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the EDC Support Facility, approximately $170 of which was outstanding under the small bond
sub-facility. In addition, bid and performance related bonds with terms that extend beyond
December 31, 2006, which, absent any early termination of the EDC Support Facility, is the expiry
date of this facility, are currently not eligible for the support provided by the EDC Support
Facility. Given that the EDC Support Facility is used to support bid and performance bonds with
varying terms, including those with at least 365 days, we may need to increase our use of cash
collateral to support these obligations beginning on January 1, 2006 absent a further extension of
the facility. Unless EDC agrees to extend the facility or agrees to provide support outside the
scope of the facility, we may be required to provide cash collateral to support these obligations.
We cannot provide any assurance that we will reach an agreement with EDC on these matters. Under
the terms of the waiver letter with EDC dated March 29, 2004, EDC may also suspend its obligation
to issue NNL any additional support if events occur that have a material adverse effect on NNLs
business, financial position or results of operations. If we do not have access to sufficient
support under the EDC Support Facility, and if we are unable to secure alternative support, an
increased portion of our cash and cash equivalents may be restricted as cash collateral, which
could adversely affect our ability to fund some of our normal course business activities, capital
expenditures, R&D and our ability to borrow in the future. An inability of our subsidiaries to provide us with funding in sufficient amounts could adversely
affect our ability to meet our obligations. We may at times depend primarily on loans, dividends or other forms of financing from our
subsidiaries to meet our obligations to pay interest and principal on outstanding public debt and
to pay corporate expenses. If our subsidiaries are unable to pay dividends or provide us with
loans or other forms of financing in sufficient amounts, it could adversely affect our ability to
meet our obligations. We may need to make larger contributions to our defined benefit plans in the future. We currently maintain various defined benefit plans in North America and the U.K. which cover
various categories of employees and retirees, which represent our major retirement plans. In
addition, we have smaller retirement plans in other countries. Our obligations to make
contributions to fund benefit obligations under these plans are based on actuarial valuations,
which themselves are based on certain assumptions about the long-term operation of the plans,
including employee turnover and retirement rates, the performance of the financial markets and
interest rates. If experience differs from the assumptions, the amounts we are obligated to
contribute to the plans may increase. In particular, the performance of the financial markets is
difficult to predict, particularly in periods of high volatility in the equity markets. If the
financial markets perform lower than the assumptions, we may have to make larger contributions in
the future than we would otherwise have to make and expenses related to defined benefit plans could
increase. Similarly, changes in interest rates can impact our contribution requirements. In a low
interest rate environment, the likelihood of required contributions in the future increases. If
interest rates are lower in the future than we assume they will be, then we would probably be
required to make larger contributions than we would otherwise have to make. In addition, the 2004 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Monsanto Canada Inc. v.
Superintendent of Financial Services has caused companies in Canada that sponsor defined benefit
plans, including us, to review certain of our past activities that may have triggered partial
wind-ups of such plans to determine whether a distribution of plan surplus, if any, should have
occurred at the time of any triggering event. Although the full impact of the decision remains
unclear and we have not yet made any determination regarding our plans, if it is determined that a
distribution of plan surplus should have occurred at the time of any triggering event, we may be
required to make a distribution out of our plan assets, which may lead to an increase in the amount
of future contributions that we are required to make. If market conditions deteriorate or future results of operations are less than expected, an
additional valuation allowance may be required for all or a portion of our deferred tax assets. We currently have deferred tax assets, which may be used to reduce taxable income in the future.
We assess the realization of these deferred tax assets quarterly, and if we determine that it is
more likely than not that some portion of these assets will not be realized, an income tax
valuation allowance is recorded. If market conditions deteriorate or future results of operations
are less than expected, future assessments may result in a determination that it is more likely
than not that some or all of our net deferred tax assets are not realizable. As a result, we may
need to establish an additional valuation allowance for all or a portion of our net deferred tax
assets, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and
financial condition. 125




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Our performance may be materially and adversely affected if our expectations regarding market
demand for particular products prove to be wrong. We expect that data communications traffic will grow at a faster rate than the growth expected for
voice traffic and that the use of the Internet will continue to increase. We expect the growth of
data traffic and the use of the Internet will significantly impact traditional voice networks, both
wireline and wireless. We believe that this will create market discontinuities, which will make
traditional voice network products and services less effective as they were not designed for data
traffic. We believe that these market discontinuities in turn will lead to the convergence of data
and voice through upgrades of traditional voice networks to transport large volumes of data traffic
or through the construction of new networks designed to transport both voice and data traffic.
Either approach would require significant capital expenditures by service providers. We also
believe that such developments will give rise to the demand for IP optimized networking solutions,
and third generation, or 3G, wireless networks. We cannot be sure what the rate of this convergence of voice and data networks will be, due to the
dynamic and rapidly evolving nature of the communications business, the technology involved and the
availability of capital. Consequently, market discontinuities and the resulting demand for
IP-optimized networking solutions or 3G wireless networks may not continue. Alternatively, the
pace of that development may be slower than currently anticipated. The market may also develop in
an unforeseen direction. Certain events, including the commercial availability and actual
implementation of new technologies, including 3G networks, or the evolution of other technologies,
may occur, which would affect the extent or timing of anticipated market demand, or increase demand
for products based on other technologies, or reduce the demand for IP-optimized networking
solutions or 3G wireless networks. Any such change in demand may reduce purchases of our
networking solutions by our customers, require increased expenditures to develop and market
different technologies, or provide market opportunities for our competitors. Our performance may
also be materially and adversely affected by a lack of growth in the rate of data traffic, a
reduction in the use of the Internet or a reduction in the demand for IP-optimized networking
solutions or 3G wireless networks in the future. We have made, and may continue to make, strategic acquisitions. If we are not successful in
operating or integrating these acquisitions, our business, results of operations and financial
condition may be materially and adversely affected. In the past, we acquired companies that we believed would enhance the expansion of our business and
products. We may make selective opportunistic acquisitions of companies or businesses with
resources and product or service offerings capable of providing us with additional product and/or
market strengths. Acquisitions involve significant risks and uncertainties, including:  
    
    the industry may develop in a different direction than anticipated and the
technologies we acquire may not prove to be those we need;
    
    the future valuations of acquired businesses may decrease from the market
price we paid for these acquisitions;
    
    the revenues of acquired businesses may not offset increased operating
expenses associated with these acquisitions;
    
    potential difficulties in completing in-process research and development
projects and delivering high quality products to our customers;
    
    potential difficulties in integrating new products, software, businesses and
operations in an efficient and effective manner;
    
    our customers or customers of the acquired businesses may defer purchase
decisions as they evaluate the impact of the acquisitions on our future product strategy;
    
    potential loss of key employees of the acquired businesses;
    
    diversion of the attention of our senior management from the operation of our daily business;
    
    entering new markets in which we have limited experience and where competitors
may have a stronger market presence;
    
    potential issuance of common stock that would dilute our shareholders percentage ownership; and
    
    potential assumption of liabilities. Our inability to successfully operate and integrate newly acquired businesses appropriately,
effectively and in a timely manner could have a material adverse effect on our ability to take
advantage of further growth in demand for IP-optimized network solutions and other advances in
technology, as well as on our revenues, gross margins and expenses. 126




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Acquisitions are inherently risky, and no assurance can be given that our previous or future
acquisitions will be successful and will not materially adversely affect our business, operating
results, or financial condition. Failure to manage and successfully integrate acquisitions could
materially harm our business and operating results. We operate in highly dynamic and volatile industries characterized by rapidly changing
technologies, evolving industry standards, frequent new product introductions and short product
life cycles. The markets for our products are characterized by rapidly changing technologies, evolving industry
standards, frequent new product introductions and short product life cycles. Our success depends,
in substantial part, on the timely and successful introduction of high quality new products and
upgrades, as well as cost reductions on current products to address the operational speed,
bandwidth, efficiency and cost requirements of our customers. Our success will also depend on our
ability to comply with emerging industry standards, to operate with products of other suppliers, to
integrate, simplify and reduce the number of software programs used in our portfolio of products,
to address emerging market trends, to provide our customers with new revenue-generating
opportunities and to compete with technological and product developments carried out by others.
The development of new, technologically advanced products, including IP-optimized networking
solutions, software products and 3G wireless networks, is a complex and uncertain process requiring
high levels of innovation, as well as the accurate anticipation of technological and market trends.
Investments in this development may result in our expenses growing at a faster rate than our
revenues, particularly since the initial investment to bring a product to market may be high. We
may not be successful in targeting new market opportunities, in developing and commercializing new
products in a timely manner or in achieving market acceptance for our new products. The success of new or enhanced products, including IP-optimized networking solutions and 3G
wireless networks, depends on a number of other factors, including the timely introduction of those
products, market acceptance of new technologies and industry standards, the quality and robustness
of new or enhanced products, competing product offerings, the pricing and marketing of those
products and the availability of funding for those networks. Products and technologies developed
by our competitors may render our products obsolete. Hackers may attempt to disrupt or exploit our
customers use of our technologies. If we fail to respond in a timely and effective manner to
unanticipated changes in one or more of the technologies affecting telecommunications and data
networking or our new products or product enhancements fail to achieve market acceptance, our
ability to compete effectively in our industry, and our sales, market share and customer
relationships could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, unanticipated changes in market demand for products based on a specific technology,
particularly lower than anticipated, or delays in, demand for IP-optimized networking solutions,
particularly long-haul and metro optical networking solutions, or 3G wireless networks, could have
a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition if we fail
to respond to those changes in a timely and effective manner. We face significant competition and may not be able to maintain our market share and may suffer
from competitive pricing practices. We operate in a highly volatile industry that is characterized by industry rationalization and
consolidation, vigorous competition for market share and rapid technological development.
Competition is heightened in periods of slow overall market growth. These factors could result in
aggressive pricing practices and growing competition from smaller niche companies, established
competitors, as well as well-capitalized computer systems and communications companies, which, in
turn, could have a material adverse effect on our gross margins. Since some of the markets in which we compete are characterized by the potential for rapid growth
and, in certain cases, low barriers to entry and rapid technological changes, smaller, specialized
companies and start-up ventures are now, or may in the future become, principal competitors. We
may also face competition from the resale of used telecommunications equipment, including our own
on occasion, by failed, downsized or consolidated high technology enterprises and
telecommunications service providers. In addition, we face the risk that certain of our
competitors may enter into additional business combinations, accelerate product development, or
engage in aggressive price reductions or other competitive practices, which make them more powerful
or aggressive competitors. We expect that we will face additional competition from existing competitors and from a number of
companies that have entered or may enter our existing and future markets. In particular, we
currently, and may in the future, face increased competition from low cost competitors such as
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and ZTE Corporation. Some of our current and potential competitors
have greater marketing, technical and financial resources, including access to capital markets
and/or the ability to provide customer financing in connection with the sale of products. Many of
our current and potential 127




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competitors have also established, or may in the future establish, relationships with our current
and potential customers. Other competitive factors include the ability to provide new technologies
and products, end-to-end networking solutions, and new product features, such as security, as well
as conformance to industry standards. Increased competition could result in price reductions,
negatively affecting our operating results, reducing profit margins and could potentially lead to a
loss of market share. We face certain barriers in our efforts to expand internationally. We intend to continue to pursue international and emerging market growth opportunities. In many
international markets, long-standing relationships between potential customers and their local
suppliers and protective regulations, including local content requirements and type approvals,
create barriers to entry. In addition, pursuing international opportunities may require
significant investments for an extended period before returns on such investments, if any, are
realized and such investments may result in expenses growing at a faster rate than revenues.
Furthermore, those projects and investments could be adversely affected by:  
    
    reversals or delays in the opening of foreign markets to new competitors;
    
    trade protection measures;
    
    exchange controls;
    
    currency fluctuations;
    
    investment policies;
    
    restrictions on repatriation of cash;
    
    nationalization of local industry;
    
    economic, social and political risks;
    
    taxation;
    
    interest rates;
    
    challenges in staffing and managing international opportunities;
    
    other factors, depending on the country involved; and
    
    acts of war or terrorism. Difficulties in foreign financial markets and economies and of foreign financial institutions,
particularly in emerging markets, could adversely affect demand from customers in the affected
countries. An inability to maintain or expand our business in international and emerging markets
could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial
condition. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could negatively impact our business, results of
operations and financial condition. As an increasing proportion of our business may be denominated in currencies other than U.S.
dollars, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates may have an adverse impact on our
business, results of operations and financial condition. Our primary currency exposures are to
Canadian dollars, British pounds and the euro. These exposures may change over time as we change
the geographic mix of our global business and as our business practices evolve. For instance, if
we increase our presence in emerging markets, we may see an increase in our exposure to emerging
market currencies, such as, for example, the Indian rupee. These currencies may be affected by
internal factors and external developments in other countries. Also, our ability to enter into
normal course derivative or hedging transactions in the future may be impacted by our current
credit condition. We cannot predict whether foreign exchange losses will be incurred in the
future, and significant foreign exchange rate fluctuations may have a material adverse effect on
our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we fail to protect our intellectual property rights, or if we are subject to adverse judgments
or settlements arising out of disputes regarding intellectual property rights, our business,
results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. Our industry is subject to uncertainty over adoption of industry standards and protection of
intellectual property rights. Our success is dependent on our proprietary technology, for the
protection of which we rely on patent, copyright, trademark and trade secret laws. Our business is
global and the level of protection of our proprietary technology provided by those laws varies by
jurisdiction. Our issued patents may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, and our rights
under issued patents may not provide us with competitive advantages. Patents may not be issued
from pending applications, and claims in 128




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patents issued in the future may not be sufficiently broad to protect our proprietary technology.
In addition, claims of intellectual property infringement or trade secret misappropriation may be
asserted against us or our customers in connection with their use of our products and the outcome
of any of those claims may be uncertain. An unfavorable outcome in such a claim could require us
to cease offering for sale the products that are the subject of such a claim, pay substantial
monetary damages to a third party and/or make ongoing royalty payments to a third party. In
addition, any defense of claims of intellectual property infringement or trade secret
misappropriation may require extensive participation by senior management and/or other key
employees and may reduce their time and ability to focus on other aspects of our business. A
failure by us to react to changing industry standards, the lack of broadly-accepted industry
standards, successful claims of intellectual property infringement or other intellectual property
claims against us or our customers, or a failure by us to protect our proprietary technology could
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In
addition, if others infringe on our intellectual property rights, we may not be able to
successfully contest such challenges. Rationalization and consolidation in the industry may lead to increased competition and harm our
business. The industry has experienced consolidation and rationalization and we expect this trend to
continue. There have been adverse changes in the public and private equity and debt markets for
industry participants which have affected their ability to obtain financing or to fund capital
expenditures. Some operators have experienced financial difficulty and have, or may, file for
bankruptcy protection or be acquired by other operators. Other operators may merge and we and one
or more of our competitors may each supply products to the companies that have merged or will
merge. This rationalization and/or consolidation could result in our dependence on a smaller
number of customers, purchasing decision delays by the merged companies and/or our playing a lesser
role, or no longer playing a role, in the supply of communications products to the merged
companies. This rationalization and/or consolidation, including the acquisition by Cingular
Wireless of AT&T Wireless, could also cause increased competition among our customers and pressure
on the pricing of their products and services, which could cause further financial difficulties for
our customers. A rationalization of industry participants could also increase the supply of used
communications products for resale, resulting in increased competition and pressure on the pricing
for our new products. In addition, telecommunications equipment suppliers may enter into business
combinations, or may be acquired by or sell a substantial portion of their assets to other
competitors, resulting in accelerated product development, increased financial strength, or a
broader base of customers, creating even more powerful or aggressive competitors. We may also see
rationalization among equipment/component suppliers. The business failures of operators,
competitors or suppliers may cause uncertainty among investors and in the industry generally and
harm our business. Changes in regulation of the Internet and/or other aspects of the industry may affect the manner in
which we conduct our business and may materially and adversely affect our business, results of
operations and financial condition. Investment decisions of our customers could be affected by regulation of the Internet or other
aspects of the industry in any country where we operate. We could also be materially and adversely
affected by an increase in competition among equipment suppliers or by reduced capital spending by
our customers, as a result of a change in the regulation of the industry. If a jurisdiction in
which we operate adopts measures which affect the regulation of the Internet and/or other aspects
of the industry, we could experience both decreased demand for our products and increased costs of
selling such products. Changes in laws or regulations governing the Internet, Internet commerce
and/or other aspects of the industry could have a material adverse effect on our business, results
of operations and financial condition. In the U.S., on February 20, 2003, the FCC announced a decision in its triennial review proceeding
of the agencys rules regarding UNEs. The text of the FCCs order and reasons for the decision
were released on August 21, 2003. The uncertainty surrounding the impact of the FCC decision,
judicial review, adoption of interim rules, and subsequent release on February 4, 2005 of new
unbundling rules in response to the remand by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is
affecting, and may continue to affect, the decisions of certain of our U.S.-based service provider
customers regarding investment in their telecommunications infrastructure. These UNE rules and/or
material changes in other country-specific telecommunications or other regulations may affect
capital spending by certain of our service provider customers, which could have a material adverse
effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. In Europe, we expect to become subject to new product content laws and product takeback and
recycling requirements that will require full compliance by 2006. We expect that these laws will
require us to incur additional compliance costs. Although compliance costs relating to
environmental matters have not resulted in a material adverse effect on our business, results of
operations and financial condition in the past, they may result in a material adverse effect in the
future. 129




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Our stock price has historically been volatile and further declines in the market price of our
publicly traded securities may negatively impact our ability to make future acquisitions, raise
capital, issue debt and retain employees. Our publicly traded securities have experienced, and may continue to experience, substantial price
volatility, including considerable decreases, particularly as a result of variations between our
actual or anticipated financial results and the published expectations of analysts and as a result
of announcements by our competitors and us, including our announcements related to the Independent
Review, our management changes, the First Restatement and the Second Restatement, the regulatory
and criminal investigations, the class action litigations and other civil proceedings and related
matters. Our credit quality, any equity or equity related offerings, operating results and
prospects, restatements of previously issued financial statements, including any exclusion of our
publicly traded securities from any widely followed stock market indices, among other factors, will
also affect the market price of our publicly traded securities. The stock markets have experienced extreme price fluctuations that have affected the market price
and trading volumes of many technology and telecommunications companies in particular, with
potential consequential negative effects on the trading of securities of those companies. A major
decline in the capital markets generally, or an adjustment in the market price or trading volumes
of our publicly traded securities, may negatively impact our ability to raise capital, issue debt,
secure customer business, retain employees or make future acquisitions. These factors, as well as
general economic and geopolitical conditions, and continued negative events within the technology
sector, may in turn have a material adverse effect on the market price of our publicly traded
securities. Early settlement of our purchase contracts is currently not available to holders of purchase
contracts. Acceleration of the settlement date on early settlement of our purchase contracts could
contribute to volatility in the market price of our common shares. Owing to matters described above in Developments in 2004 and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee
Independent Review; restatements; related matters with respect to the delayed filing of the
Reports and the 2004 Annual Reports, we are currently unable to permit holders of our prepaid
forward purchase contracts to exercise certain early settlement rights and receive Nortel
Networks Corporation common shares in advance of the otherwise applicable August 15, 2005
settlement date. These rights again will become exercisable upon the effectiveness of a
registration statement (or a post-effective amendment to the shelf registration statement) filed
with the SEC (with respect to the common shares to be delivered) that contains a related current
prospectus. Under the terms of the Purchase Contract and Unit Agreement, which governs the
purchase contracts, we have agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to have in effect a
registration statement covering the common shares to be delivered and to provide a prospectus in
connection therewith. On June 12, 2002, concurrent with the closing of a public offering of our common shares, 28,750
equity units were sold, each initially evidencing ownership of a prepaid forward purchase contract,
or purchase contract, entitling the holder to receive our common shares, and specified zero-coupon
U.S. treasury strips. As of February 28, 2005, 3,840 purchase contracts were outstanding. The
aggregate number of our common shares issuable on the settlement date of the remaining purchase
contracts will be between approximately 65 million and 78 million shares, subject to some
anti-dilution adjustments (which include adjustments for a possible consolidation of our common
shares), depending on the applicable market value of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares.
The settlement date for each purchase contract is August 15, 2005, subject to acceleration or early
settlement in certain cases. If we are involved in a merger, amalgamation, arrangement, consolidation or other reorganization
event (other than with or into NNL or certain other subsidiaries) in which all of our common shares
are exchanged for consideration of at least 30% of the value of which consists of cash or cash
equivalents, then a holder of purchase contracts may elect to accelerate and settle some or all of
its purchase contracts, for our common shares. The settlement date under each purchase contract
will automatically accelerate upon the occurrence of specified events of bankruptcy, insolvency or
reorganization with respect to us. Upon acceleration of the settlement date, holders will be
entitled to receive 20,263.12 common shares per purchase contract (regardless of the market price
of our common shares at that time), subject to some anti-dilution adjustments. A holder of
purchase contracts may also elect to accelerate the settlement date of some or all of its purchase
contracts. Upon an early settlement, the holder will receive 16,885.93 common shares per purchase
contract (regardless of the market price of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares at that
time), subject to some anti-dilution adjustments. An acceleration of the settlement date or early
settlement of our purchase contracts could contribute to volatility in the market price of Nortel
Networks Corporation common shares. 130




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Industry concerns could continue and increase our exposure to our customers credit risk and the
risk that our customers will not be able to fulfill their payment obligations to us under customer
financing arrangements. The competitive environment in which we operate has required us in the past to provide significant
amounts of medium-term and long-term customer financing. Customer financing arrangements may
include financing in connection with the sale of our products and services, funding for certain
non-product and service costs associated with network installation and integration of our products
and services, financing for working capital and equity financing. While we have significantly
reduced our customer financing exposure, we expect we may continue in the future to provide
customer financing to customers in areas that are strategic to our core business activity. We expect to continue to hold most current and future customer financing obligations for longer
periods prior to any possible placement with third-party lenders, due to, among other factors,
recent economic uncertainty in various countries, adverse capital market conditions, our current
credit condition, adverse changes in the credit quality of our customers and reduced demand for
telecommunications financing in capital and bank markets. In addition, risks generally associated
with customer financing, including the risks associated with new technologies, new network
construction, market demand and competition, customer business plan viability and funding risks,
may require us to hold certain customer financing obligations over a longer term. We may not be
able to place any of our current or future customer financing obligations with third-party lenders
on acceptable terms. Certain customers have been experiencing financial difficulties and have failed to meet their
financial obligations. As a result, we have incurred charges for increased provisions related to
certain trade and customer financing receivables. If there are further increases in the failure of
our customers to meet their customer financing and receivables obligations to us or if the
assumptions underlying the amount of provisions we have taken with respect to customer financing
and receivables obligations do not reflect actual future financial conditions and customer payment
levels, we could incur losses in excess of our provisions, which could have a material adverse
effect on our cash flow and operating results. Negative developments associated with our supply contracts and contract manufacturing agreements
may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and
supply relationships. We have entered into supply contracts with customers to provide products and services, which in
some cases involve new technologies currently being developed, or which we have not yet
commercially deployed, or which require us to build networks. Some of these supply contracts
contain delivery and installation timetables, performance criteria and other contractual
obligations which, if not met, could result in our having to pay substantial penalties or
liquidated damages and/or the termination of the supply contract. Unexpected developments in these
supply contracts could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, cash flows and relationships
with our customers. Our ability to meet customer demand is, in part, dependent on us obtaining timely and adequate
component parts and products from suppliers, contract manufacturers, and internal manufacturing
capacity. As part of the transformation of our supply chain from a vertically integrated
manufacturing model to a virtually integrated model, we have outsourced substantially all of our
manufacturing capacity to contract manufacturers, including an agreement with Flextronics announced
on June 29, 2004 regarding the divestiture of certain of our manufacturing operations and related
activities. The transfer to Flextronics of our optical design operations and related assets in
Ottawa, Canada and Monkstown, Northern Ireland was completed in the fourth quarter of 2004. In the
first quarter of 2005, we completed the portion of the transaction relating to our manufacturing
activities in Montreal, Canada. The balance of the divestiture is anticipated to close in the
first half of 2005, subject to completion of the required information and consultation processes
with the relevant employee representatives. Upon the completion of the divestiture, a significant
portion of our supply chain will be concentrated with Flextronics. We work closely with our
suppliers and contract manufacturers to address quality issues and to meet increases in customer
demand, when needed, and we also manage our internal manufacturing capacity, quality, and inventory
levels as required. However, we may encounter shortages of quality components and/or products in
the future. In addition, our component suppliers and contract manufacturers have experienced, and
may continue to experience, a consolidation in the industry and financial difficulties, both of
which may result in fewer sources of components or products and greater exposure to the financial
stability of our suppliers. A reduction or interruption in component supply or external
manufacturing capacity, a significant increase in the price of one or more components, or excessive
inventory levels could materially and negatively affect our gross margins and our operating results
and could materially damage customer relationships. 131




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Many of our current and planned products are highly complex and may contain defects or errors that
are detected only after deployment in telecommunications networks, which could harm our reputation. Our products are highly complex, and some of them can be fully tested only when deployed in
telecommunications networks or with other equipment. From time to time, our products have
contained undetected defects, errors or failures. The occurrence of any defects, errors or
failures could result in cancellation of orders, product returns, diversion of our resources, legal
actions by our customers or our customers end users and other losses to us or to our customers or
end users. Any of these occurrences could also result in the loss of or delay in market acceptance
of our products and loss of sales, which would harm our business and adversely affect our business,
results of operations and financial condition. Our business may suffer if our strategic alliances are not successful. We have entered into a number of strategic alliances with suppliers, developers and members in our
industry to facilitate product compatibility, encourage adoption of industry standards or to offer
complementary product or service offerings to meet customer needs. In some cases, the companies
with which we have strategic alliances also compete against us in some of our business areas. If a
member of a strategic alliance fails to perform its obligations, if the relationship fails to
develop as expected or if the relationship is terminated, we could experience delays in product
availability or impairment of our relationships with our customers. In addition to the investigations and litigation arising out of our restatements, we are also
subject to numerous class actions and other lawsuits as well as lawsuits in the ordinary course of
business. In addition to the investigations and litigation arising out of our restatements, we are currently
a defendant in numerous class actions and other lawsuits, including lawsuits initiated on behalf of
holders of Nortel Networks Corporation common shares, which seek damages of material and
indeterminate amounts, as well as lawsuits in the ordinary course of our business. In the future,
we may be subject to similar litigation. The defense of these lawsuits may divert our managements
attention, and we may incur significant expenses in defending these lawsuits (including substantial
fees of lawyers and other professional advisors and potential obligations to indemnify officers and
directors who may be parties to such actions). In addition, we may be required to pay judgments or
settlements that could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial
condition and liquidity. 132




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ITEM 3.
    
    Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk Market risk represents the risk of loss that may impact the consolidated financial statements
of Nortel due to adverse changes in financial market prices and rates. Nortels market risk
exposure is primarily a result of fluctuations in interest rates and foreign exchange rates.
Disclosure of market risk is contained in Market Risk in Managements Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2003. 
  ITEM 4.
    
    Controls and Procedures In light of the relevance of the findings of the Independent Review to the matters addressed
in this Item 4, please see the Summary of Findings and of Recommended Remedial Measures of the
Independent Review, submitted to the Audit Committee by WCPHD and Huron Consulting Services LLC,
or the Independent Review Summary, included in Item 9A of our 2003 Annual Report. This Item 4
addresses, among other matters:  
    
    current managements conclusions concerning our disclosure controls and procedures as at
September 30, 2004 and March 18, 2005 and certain earlier dates (see Current Management
Conclusions Concerning Disclosure Controls and Procedures);
    
    information relating to the First Restatement, including a discussion of material
weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting identified at the time of the First
Restatement (see Additional Background  First Restatement);
    
    information relating to the Second Restatement, including a discussion of material
weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting identified over the course of the
Second Restatement (see Additional Background  Second Restatement);
    
    the determination of the Audit Committee to review the facts and circumstances leading
to the restatement of revenues, as part of the Second Restatement, for specific
transactions during the periods 1999 through 2002, with particular emphasis on the
underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues, which we refer to
as the Revenue Independent Review (see Revenue Independent Review);
    
    the current status of our internal control over financial reporting and expectations as
to management conclusions and the independent auditor attestation required to be included
in our fiscal year 2004 Annual Report pursuant to SOX 404 (see Current Status of Material
Weaknesses in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and Expectations as to Required
Management Conclusions and Independent Auditor Attestation Pursuant to Section 404 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act);
    
    remedial measures adopted by the Board of Directors pursuant to the recommendations of
WCPHD, and remedial measures identified, developed and begun to be implemented by our
current management, including pursuant to recommendations from D&T (see Remedial
Measures); and
    
    changes in internal control over financial reporting (see Remedial Measures).  Current Management Conclusions Concerning Disclosure Controls and Procedures In March 2005, we carried out an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of
management, including the current CEO and current CFO (William A. Owens and Peter W. Currie,
respectively), pursuant to Rule 13a-15 under the Exchange Act, of the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures as at September 30, 2004 (the end of the period covered by this
report) and as at March 18, 2005. The current CEO and current CFO were appointed to such positions
as at April 28, 2004, and February 14, 2005, respectively. In making this evaluation, the CEO and CFO considered, among other matters :  
    
    the Second Restatement and the revisions to our preliminary unaudited results for
the year ended December 31, 2003;
    
    the findings of the Independent Review summarized in the Independent Review Summary; 133




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
    
    the terminations for cause of our former president and chief executive officer, our
chief financial officer at that time, Douglas C. Beatty, our controller at that time,
Michael J. Gollogly, and seven additional senior finance employees during the course of the
Independent Review and the reasons therefor as described in the Independent Review Summary;
    
    the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting that we and our
external auditor, D&T, have identified (as more fully described below);
    
    the measures we have identified, developed and begun to implement beginning in November
2003 to remedy those material weaknesses (as more fully described below);
    
    our omission of 1999 and 2000 selected financial data from our 2003 Annual Report, and
our decision not to amend our 2002 Form 10-K/A and our 2003 quarterly reports (as more
fully described below); and
    
    the decision of the Audit Committee to undertake the Revenue Independent Review (as more
fully described below). Based on this evaluation, the CEO and CFO have concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures, as at September 30, 2004 and March 18, 2005, were not effective to provide reasonable
assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file and submit under the
Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported as and when required. In light of this conclusion and as part of the extensive work undertaken in connection with the
Second Restatement, we have applied compensating procedures and processes as necessary to ensure
the reliability of our financial reporting. Accordingly, management believes, based on its
knowledge, that (i) this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to
state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under
which they were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report and (ii) the
financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in
all material respects our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows as at, and for,
the periods presented in this report. As discussed in our 2003 Annual Report, the Second Restatement and other matters listed above also
resulted in the re-evaluation, in January 2005, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and
procedures as at December 31, 2002, March 31, 2003, June 30, 2003 and September 30, 2003. Based on
these evaluations and in consideration of the Second Restatement and other matters listed above,
the CEO and our CFO at that time, William R. Kerr, concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures, as at December 31, 2002, March 31, 2003, June 30, 2003 and September 30, 2003, were not
effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in the reports
we file and submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported as and
when required. These new conclusions are in contrast to conclusions reached as a result of previous evaluations
carried out under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the former
chief executive officer and former chief financial officer. In particular, these conclusions
differ from the conclusions stated in our 2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on
Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2003 and June 30, 2003 that our disclosure controls and
procedures were so effective as at December 31, 2002, March 31, 2003 and June 30, 2003,
respectively. They also differ from the conclusions based upon the re-evaluations carried out in
December 2003 under the supervision and with the participation of management, including the former
president and chief executive officer and former chief financial officer, as stated in our amended
2002 Annual Report on Form 10-K/A, or the 2002 Form 10-K/A, and amended Quarterly Reports on Form
10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2003 and June 30, 2003, or the 2003 Form 10-Q/As, that our
disclosure controls and procedures were so effective as at December 31, 2002, March 31, 2003 and
June 30, 2003, respectively, after taking into account the First Restatement and the identification
of certain material weaknesses. These new conclusions also differ from the conclusions stated in
our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2003 that our disclosure
controls and procedures were so effective as at September 30, 2003, after taking into account the
First Restatement and the identification of certain material weaknesses. * * * * * *  Additional Background This section provides additional information with respect to the identified material weaknesses and
other deficiencies, as well as certain additional background information regarding the First
Restatement and the Second Restatement. 134




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In this report, unless otherwise indicated, the terms material weakness and reportable
condition have the meanings as formerly set forth under standards established by the AICPA, which
were applicable with respect to 2003. The AICPA then defined a (i) reportable condition as a
matter that comes to an auditors attention that represents a significant deficiency in the design
or operation of internal control that could adversely affect an entitys ability to initiate,
record, process and report financial data consistent with the assertions of management in the
financial statements and (ii) material weakness as a reportable condition in which the design or
operation of one or more of the internal control components does not reduce to a relatively low
level the risk that misstatements caused by error or fraud in amounts that would be material in
relation to the financial statements being audited may occur and not be detected within a timely
period by employees in the normal course of performing their assigned functions.  First Restatement  Overview In May 2003, we commenced certain balance sheet reviews at the direction of certain members of
former management that led to the Comprehensive Review, which resulted in the First Restatement.
Each of the former members of management terminated for cause had responsibility for their
respective positions at the time of the Comprehensive Review and First Restatement. As disclosed
in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2003, the Comprehensive Review
was initiated [I]n light of a period of unprecedented industry adjustment and subsequent
restructuring actions, including workforce reductions and asset write-downs . . . . The amounts
under review were recorded when our balance sheet and income statement were much larger.
Specifically, what would have been relatively minor amounts in prior periods may be considered to
be material to current periods. As noted in the Independent Review Summary, Nortel posted
significant losses in 2001 and 2002 and downsized its work force by nearly two-thirds. The
remaining employees were asked to undertake significant additional responsibilities with no
additional increase in pay and no bonuses. The Companys former senior corporate management
asserted, at the start of the inquiry, that the Companys downturn, and concomitant downsizing of
operations and workforce, led to a loss of documentation and a decline in financial discipline.
Those factors, in their view, were primarily responsible for the significant excess provisions on
the balance sheet as at June 30, 2003, which resulted in the First Restatement. While that
downturn surely played a part in the circumstances leading to the First Restatement, the root
causes ran far deeper. The root causes of the First Restatement, as identified in the Independent
Review, are more fully discussed in the Independent Review Summary. The Comprehensive Review purported to (i) identify balance sheet accounts that, as at June 30,
2003, were not supportable and required adjustment; (ii) determine whether such adjustments related
to the third quarter of 2003 or prior periods; and (iii) document certain account balances in
accordance with our accounting policies and procedures. The Comprehensive Review, as supplemented
by additional procedures carried out between July 2003 and November 2003 to quantify the effects of
potential adjustments in the relevant periods and review the appropriateness of releases of certain
contractual liability and other related provisions (also called accruals, reserves or accrued
liabilities) in the six fiscal quarters ending with the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2003, formed
the basis for the adjustments made to the financial statements in the First Restatement. On December 23, 2003, we filed with the SEC the 2002 Form 10-K/A and the 2003 Form 10-Q/As
reflecting the First Restatement. As disclosed in those reports, the net effect of the First
Restatement adjustments was a reduction in accumulated deficit of $497 million, $178 million and
$31 million as at December 31, 2002, 2001 and 2000, respectively. The following were the principal
adjustments of the First Restatement:  
    
    Approximately $935 million and $514 million of certain liabilities (primarily accruals
and provisions) carried on our previously reported consolidated balance sheet as at
December 31, 2002 and 2001, respectively, were released to income in prior periods.
    
    We determined to correct certain known errors previously not recorded because the amount
of the errors was not material to the consolidated financial statements. Specifically,
among other items, we made certain revenue adjustments to reflect revenue that should have
been deferred instead of recognized in a particular period.
    
    We made adjustments to correct errors related to deferred income tax assets and foreign
currency translation accounts and made reclassification adjustments within the consolidated
balance sheet to better reflect the underlying nature of certain items. These
reclassifications did not impact our net assets as at the end of any period. 135




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Material Weaknesses and Other Deficiencies in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Identified at the Time of the First Restatement In 2003, we, together with D&T, identified a number of deficiencies in our internal control over
financial reporting. On July 24, 2003, D&T first informed the Audit Committee that deficiencies in documentary support
for certain accruals and provisions on our balance sheet as at June 30, 2003 constituted a
reportable condition, but not a material weakness, in our internal control over financial
reporting. In particular, D&T concluded, in respect of this reportable condition, that it was
unclear, due to the lack of documentation regarding support for certain provisions and accruals,
the passage of time and the turnover of personnel, as to what adjustments, if any, should have been
made in prior years. D&T noted that its assessment was based on such information as was available
at the date of its communication to the Audit Committee and the materiality of the underlying
amounts in the context of 2003 reported results. This conclusion was initially disclosed in our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2003. On November 18, 2003, as part of the communications by D&T to the Audit Committee with respect to
D&Ts interim audit procedures for the year ended December 31, 2003, D&T informed the Audit
Committee that there were two reportable conditions, each of which constituted a material weakness
in our internal control over financial reporting. No other reportable conditions were communicated
by D&T to the Audit Committee at the time of the First Restatement. These reportable conditions
were as follows:  
    
    lack of compliance with established Nortel procedures for monitoring and adjusting
balances related to certain accruals and provisions, including restructuring charges; and
    
    lack of compliance with established Nortel procedures for appropriately applying U.S.
GAAP to the initial recording of certain liabilities, including those described in SFAS No.
5, and to foreign currency translation as described in SFAS No. 52. The foregoing material weaknesses contributed to the need for the First Restatement. Upon
completion of our assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as at December 31,
2004 pursuant to SOX 404, we currently expect to conclude that these material weaknesses continued
to exist as at December 31, 2004, and we continue to identify, develop and begin to implement
remedial measures to address them, as described below.  Second Restatement  Independent Review In late October 2003, the Audit Committee initiated the Independent Review in order to, as noted in
the Independent Review Summary, gain a full understanding of the events that caused significant
excess liabilities to be maintained on the balance sheet that needed to be restated, and to
recommend that the Board of Directors adopt, and direct management to implement, necessary remedial
measures to address personnel, controls, compliance and discipline. As noted in the Independent
Review Summary, [t]he [Independent Review] focused initially on events relating to the
establishment and release of contractual liability and other related provisions . . . in the second
half of 2002 and the first half of 2003, including the involvement of senior corporate leadership.
.. . . As the [Independent Review] evolved, its focus broadened to include specific provisioning
activities in each of the business units and geographic regions. In light of concerns raised in
the initial phase of the [Independent Review], the Audit Committee expanded the review to include
provisioning activities in the third and fourth quarters of 2003. As discussed more fully in the Independent Review Summary, the Independent Review concluded that
[i]n summary, former corporate management (now terminated for cause) and former finance management
(now terminated for cause) in the Companys finance organization endorsed, and employees carried
out, accounting practices relating to the recording and release of provisions that were not in
compliance with [U.S. GAAP] in at least four quarters, including the third and fourth quarters of
2002 and the first and second quarters of 2003. In three of those four quarters  when Nortel was
at, or close to, break even  these practices were undertaken to meet internally imposed pro-forma
earnings before taxes . . . targets. While the dollar value of most of the individual provisions
was relatively small, the aggregate value of the provisions made the difference between a profit
and a reported loss, on a pro forma basis, in the fourth quarter of 2002 and the difference between
a loss and a reported profit, on a pro forma basis, in the first and second quarters of 2003. 136




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Second Restatement Process As noted in the Independent Review Summary, [a]s the [Independent Review] progressed, the Audit
Committee directed new corporate management to examine in-depth the concerns identified by WCPHD
regarding provisioning activity and to review provision releases in each of the four quarters of
2003, down to a low threshold. That examination, and other errors identified by management, led to
[the Second Restatement]. . . . In addition to this examination of provisioning activity, management, including our CFO at that
time, William R. Kerr, undertook various initiatives aimed at ensuring the reliability and
integrity of the audited consolidated financial statements included in our 2003 Annual Report and
our unaudited consolidated financial statements included in this report and our other 2004 Form
10-Qs. As part of these efforts, our CFO at that time encouraged employees across our finance
organization to raise any questions or concerns regarding other potential accounting errors that
should be reviewed for possible adjustment in the Second Restatement. In addition, as management
identified individual customer contracts and transactions for re-examination of the establishment
and release of provisions, management also undertook a review of many of those contracts and
transactions more generally to understand the broader nature of the original accounting for the
contract or transaction. This individual contract and transaction review also identified
additional accounting issues. As a result of these initiatives, management, with the assistance of
outside consultants, then undertook further detailed reviews of our significant accounting
policies, specific transactions and communications and other documents relating to the identified
issues. As a result, the Second Restatement included adjustments to correct errors relating to a
number of accounting issues other than provisioning. In particular, management identified various errors involving recognition of revenues. To
identify, assess and remedy these errors, management, assisted by outside consultants, reviewed a
substantial number of individual transactions as well as significant accounting policies across all
of our major product lines and geographical regions. As part of our review of individual
contracts, we analyzed the relevant contractual provisions (such as delivery and acceptance terms),
delivery and other data from our logistics systems, characteristics of the particular products and
customers and the manner in which revenue recognition policies were applied. We also utilized
databases within our accounting systems to identify additional contracts that might raise revenue
recognition issues. In light of the increasing magnitude of the total revenue adjustments
identified by the beginning of November 2004, the Board of Directors directed management to conduct
additional focused revenue reviews in selected periods in order to test the conclusions we had
reached and identify any potential additional revenue adjustments. Management has completed these
reviews. Overall in the Second Restatement, as a result of adjustments to correct errors related to revenue
recognition, we increased revenues by an aggregate of $1,492 million in 2001 and $439 million in
2002. We also increased previously announced 2003 revenues by an aggregate of $386 million. Most
of these adjustments constituted the recognition of revenues that had previously been improperly
recognized in prior years and should have been deferred (often over a number of years). This also
had the effect of reducing previously reported revenues in 1998, 1999 and 2000 by approximately
$158 million, $388 million and $2,833 million, respectively (adjusted from $355 million in 1999 and
$2,866 million in 2000, as reported in our 2003 Annual Report). Of these adjustments identified in
the Second Restatement, approximately $750 million of revenues has been deferred to years after
2003, while approximately $250 million of revenues was permanently reversed, as described below.
The net impact of the Second Restatement adjustments to revenues for the three and nine month
periods ended September 30, 2003 was an increase of $78 million and a decrease of $54 million,
respectively. In light of the total magnitude of these revenue adjustments, we present below an overview of the
principal revenue adjustments required in the Second Restatement to correct accounting errors
related to revenue recognition and the general circumstances that gave rise to them. In addition,
as described under Revenue Independent Review, the Audit Committee has determined to review the
facts and circumstances leading to the restatement of these revenues for specific transactions
identified in the Second Restatement. The Revenue Independent Review will have a particular
emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues, and will
consider any appropriate additional remedial measures, including those involving internal controls
and processes.  
    
    Title and delivery  An increase of $1,624 million in 2001, $211 million in 2002 and
$49 million in 2003 (including an increase of $8 million in the three months ended
September 30, 2003 and $43 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2003). Of this amount, we made adjustments of approximately $870 million in 2001, $200 million in 2002 and
$40 million in 2003 (including an increase to revenues of approximately $30 million in the nine
months ended September 30, 2003) to correct errors relating to passage of product title or risk of
loss. Both employee input and our review of the broader original accounting treatment of certain
individual contracts identified a specific customer contract as warranting re-examination of the 137




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timing of revenue recognition relative to the timing of passage of product title. Following a
detailed review, we determined that revenues had been recorded erroneously before title had passed.
We also reviewed other similar contracts and determined that corrections were also required where
title or risk of loss had not passed. These corrections principally impacted North American
contracts in our Optical Networks and Wireline Networks businesses. Some of the adjustments related to title and risk of loss issues described above resulted in a
permanent reversal of revenues, rather than a deferral of revenues to later periods. In certain
cases, revenues were recognized in error in a particular period (before title had passed and the
criteria for revenue recognition had been met) and a bad debt expense was subsequently recorded due
to collectibility issues. In such cases, both entries were reversed. Following those corrections,
if title in fact never passed or the other criteria were never met, and the customer failed to pay,
the revenues were not recognized in subsequent periods but instead permanently reversed. We
permanently reversed a total of approximately $150 million of revenues in 2000 and $25 million in
2001 as a result of title and risk of loss adjustments. We also identified errors related to title and delivery issues in connection with arrangements
known as bill and hold transactions, in which revenue is recognized before actual delivery of the
product. Corrections of these errors resulted in the deferral of revenue into later periods, which
had the effect of a net increase to revenues of approximately $760 million in 2001, $10 million in
2002 and $10 million in 2003 (including an increase of
approximately $10 million in each of the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2003). Our scrutiny of this issue was similarly prompted
by employee input. In this situation, we determined that the relevant accounting policy had been
incorrectly applied to a number of contracts, and revenues were recognized where the relevant
criteria had not been fully met. In reviewing individual contracts, we examined, among other
things: whether significant product returns had occurred in later periods, the accounts receivable
history, whether better pricing was provided for the particular purchase order to provide an
incentive for a customer to enter into a bill and hold arrangement, whether purchase orders were
eventually placed by the customer and whether third-party corroboration was available as to whether
the arrangement was at the request of the customer or Nortel. As a result of our consideration of
these factors, we deferred all revenues associated with bill and hold arrangements to subsequent
periods. We no longer recognize revenue on bill and hold arrangements before delivery occurs and
all other criteria of revenue recognition are fully met.  
    
    Undelivered elements and liquidated damages  A decrease of $190 million in 2001 and
an increase of $45 million in 2002 and $184 million in 2003 (including a decrease of
$21 million in the three months ended September 30, 2003 and $119 million in the nine
months ended September 30, 2003) (adjusted from an increase of $204 million in 2003, as
was reported in our 2003 Annual Report) . Another area of review prompted by our review of the broader original accounting treatment of
certain individual contracts was related to certain optical product transactions where revenues
related to undelivered product elements were erroneously recognized. In these cases, revenues for
customer orders were recognized upon delivery of interim product solutions pending the availability
of the later generation optical product that the customer had ordered. In this circumstance,
revenues for the order should have been deferred until the undelivered element was delivered as we
did not have evidence supporting the fair value of the undelivered element. Accordingly, we
restated the recorded revenues, deferring recognition to subsequent periods, which had the effect
of a net decrease to revenues of approximately $40 million in 2001 and an increase to revenues of
approximately $190 million in 2002 and $25 million in 2003 (including an increase of approximately
$20 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2003). We also focused on accounting for software revenue recognition more generally, particularly in our
Optical Networks business. In Fall 2004, we sought the views of the SECs Office of the Chief
Accountant, or OCA, on one issue with respect to our historical and continuing accounting treatment
under U.S. GAAP of revenues recognized on sales of certain optical products containing embedded
software. We advised the OCA that we believed our historical accounting treatment of these optical
products was appropriate, and we were fully supported in this conclusion by D&T. We, in
consultation with D&T, nevertheless decided to obtain the views of the OCA on our analysis and
conclusions due to the judgments involved in the applicable accounting analysis and the significant
impact a different conclusion could have had on our reported revenues (namely, the deferred
recognition of substantial revenues over a number of subsequent years). Following discussions with
us, the OCA did not approve or disapprove our accounting in this area, and we concluded that we
would not make any adjustments to our accounting treatment of the sales of these optical products
as part of the Second Restatement. We also considered revenue recognition policies related to post-contract support, or PCS, with
respect to all business lines, and identified certain Enterprise Networks products that presented
issues. For these products, we recognized revenues at the time of delivery of the product but
before completion of PCS or other future services agreed to in the contract. Because in some cases
we did not have vendor specific objective evidence of fair value for those services (for example,
where we made 138




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available free software upgrades on our website), U.S. GAAP requires the revenues to be recognized
over the PCS period. Accordingly, we corrected this error and deferred the revenues to subsequent
periods, resulting in a net decrease to revenues of approximately $140 million in 2001 and $155
million in 2002 and a net increase of approximately $170 million in 2003 (including decreases of
approximately $30 million and $150 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003,
respectively).  
    
    Fixed or determinable fees An increase of $133 million in 2002 . As a result of our focus on accounting for software revenue recognition more generally as
described above, we identified a specific contract for which revenue for sales had been recognized
but the criteria for revenue recognition had not been met, including the criteria that contract
fees be either fixed or determinable. Accordingly, we corrected this error and deferred the
revenues to subsequent periods when customer payments became due and all criteria for revenue
recognition were met.  
    
    Reseller transactions  An increase of $151 million in 2001. As a result of employee input, we determined that a certain reseller lacked economic substance
apart from Nortel at the time of the relevant transaction. In such a case, we should have deferred
revenues and recognized them only upon the resellers sale of the products to an end customer.
Accordingly, we corrected this error and deferred the revenues to subsequent periods.  
    
    Reciprocal arrangements  A decrease of approximately $55 million in 2000 and $20
million in 2001. In our review of a particular contract in connection with other issues described above, we
determined that it also involved a reciprocal arrangement with the customer. Instead of
recognizing the full amount of revenues we received on the sale of products or services, the
amounts we paid the customer under the reciprocal arrangement should have been treated as a
reduction of revenues. Through our review of a substantial number of individual contracts, as
noted above, we also identified a limited number of other reciprocal arrangements, which were
recorded as permanent reductions in revenue.  
    
    Application of SOP 81-1  A decrease of approximately $40 million in 2001 and a
net increase of approximately $80 million in 2002 and $140 million in 2003 (including
an increase of $77 million in the three months ended September 30, 2003 and $95 million
in the nine months ended September 30, 2003) (all of these adjustments relate solely to
the application of SOP 81-1 and not also to other revenue recognition items, as was
reported in our 2003 Annual Report). As we continued to review the application of our accounting policies, as well as specific
contracts, we discovered errors related principally to the incorrect application of percentage of
completion accounting for certain transactions. We corrected these errors, which resulted in both
deferrals of revenues to subsequent periods and movement of revenues to earlier periods.  
    
    Application of accounting for subsequent events  An increase of approximately $70
million in 2002 and a decrease of approximately $70 million in 2003 (all of which in
the three months ended March 31, 2003). As we reviewed various transactions, we also considered the impact of subsequent events on the
accounting treatment. As a result of this general review, we identified two specific transactions
recorded in the first quarter of 2003 that should have been recorded in 2002, and made adjustments
to correct these errors.  
    
    Persuasive evidence of an arrangement  A decrease of $13 million in the three months
ended June 30, 2003, offset by an increase of $13 million in the three months ended
September 30, 2003. As we reviewed the application of our accounting policies across our geographical regions, we
identified a specific transaction in the Asia Pacific region for which revenues were recognized
after a notice of award was received but before a contract was executed. Revenues should have been
deferred until the contract was executed. We corrected this error, resulting in the deferral of
revenue from the second quarter in 2003 to the third quarter of 2003. Other accounting practices that management examined and adjusted as part of the Second Restatement
included, among other things, the following (as described in more detail below): 139




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
    
    our foreign exchange accounting, as part of the plan to address the identified material
weakness related to foreign currency translation described above;
    
    intercompany balances that did not eliminate upon consolidation and related provisions;
    
    the accounting treatment of the February 2001 acquisition of the 980 NPLC business from
JDS and the related OEM Purchase and Sale Agreement;
    
    special charges relating to goodwill, inventory impairment, contract settlement costs and other charges; and
    
    the accounting treatment of certain elements of discontinued operations. In sum, the key components of the Second Restatement process were as follows:  
    
    involvement and oversight by senior finance personnel, with regular communications
to the global finance organization to monitor progress and ensure consistency, and open and
regular dialogue with our external auditors;
    
    maintenance of a restatement database to track issues and adjustments;
    
    establishment of a process to evaluate certain provisions and releases that may not have
been fully addressed in the First Restatement, including a review of all First Restatement
processes, and enhanced balance sheet reviews at the business unit, regional and statutory
entity levels;
    
    establishment of processes to evaluate certain potential restatement items related to
our revenue recognition policies and practices and other accounting issues;
    
    validation processes, including detailed review of supporting documentation to ensure
adjustments were appropriately substantiated; and
    
    identification, development and initial implementation of remedial actions, as further
described under Remedial Measures below. As discussed above under Current Management Conclusions Concerning Disclosure Controls and
Procedures, as a result of the extensive work undertaken in connection with the Second
Restatement, management believes, based on its knowledge, that (i) this report does not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading with
respect to the period covered by this report and (ii) the financial statements, and other financial
information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects our financial
condition, results of operations and cash flows as at, and for, the periods presented in this
report.  Principal Adjustments The following are the principal Second Restatement adjustments:  
    
    An increase of $386 million in previously announced revenues and a decrease of $298
million in previously announced net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2003, with the
following adjustments on a quarterly basis:  
    
    a decrease of $79 million in previously reported revenues and $135 million in
previously reported net earnings for the first quarter of 2003, resulting in our
reporting a net loss rather than net earnings for the period;
    
    a decrease of $53 million in previously reported revenues and $138 million in
previously reported net earnings for the second quarter of 2003, resulting in our
reporting a net loss rather than net earnings for the period;
    
    an increase of $78 million in previously reported revenues and a decrease of $54
million in previously reported net earnings for the third quarter of 2003; and 140




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
    
    an increase of $440 million in previously announced revenues and $29 million in
previously announced net earnings for the fourth quarter of 2003.  
    
    An increase of $439 million in previously reported revenues and a reduction of $272
million in previously reported net loss for the year ended December 31, 2002, with the
following adjustments on a quarterly basis:  
    
    an increase of $244 million in previously reported revenues and a decrease of $101
million in previously reported net loss for the first quarter of 2002;
    
    an increase of $132 million in previously reported revenues and a decrease of $115
million in previously reported net loss for the second quarter of 2002;
    
    a decrease of $28 million in previously reported revenues and $182 million in
previously reported net loss for the third quarter of 2002; and
    
    an increase of $91 million in previously reported revenues and $126 million in
previously reported net loss for the fourth quarter of 2002.  
    
    An increase of $1,492 million in previously reported revenues and a reduction of $1,433
million in previously reported net loss for the year ended December 31, 2001 . The principal adjustments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003 primarily
relate to the following matters (each of which reflects a number of related adjustments that have
been aggregated for disclosure purposes):  
    
    Adjustments to revenues and cost of revenues to address various aspects of our revenue
recognition policies and practices increased revenues by $78 million for the three months
ended September 30, 2003, and decreased revenues by $54 million for the nine months ended
September 30, 2003, respectively, and increased cost of revenues by $140 million and $303
million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. The revenue
matters adjusted are discussed in more detail above under Second Restatement Process.
    
    Foreign exchange adjustments decreased our previously reported pre-tax earnings by $8
million for the three months ended September 30, 2003 and increased our previously
reported pre-tax earnings by $97 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2003.
These adjustments resulted primarily from the re-examination of the determination of the
functional currency for certain entities, the incorrect treatment of significant long-term
inter-company positions and revaluation errors related to certain foreign denominated
customer financing provisions within discontinued operations.
    
    Correction of certain inter-company balances that did not properly eliminate upon
consolidation and related provisions resulted in a decrease of $4 million and $23 million
to our previously reported pre-tax earnings for the three and nine months ended September
30, 2003, respectively.
    
    Adjustments to previously recorded special charges for restructuring relating to
contract settlement costs, including real estate related items, severance and fringe
benefit related costs and plant and equipment impairment costs, resulted in an increase of
$10 million and $18 million to special charges for the three and nine months ended
September 30, 2003, respectively.
    
    Corrections to various accruals, provisions and other transactions, primarily due to
the incorrect application of U.S. GAAP to the initial recording of such liabilities, or
the failure to subsequently adjust such liabilities in the correct period, resulted in a
decrease of $10 million and $111 million to previously reported pre-tax earnings for the
three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively.
    
    Adjustments to the accounting treatment of certain components of discontinued
operations, initially recognized in the second quarter of 2001, resulted in a decrease of
$12 million and $87 million (net of tax) to net earnings from discontinued operations for
the three and nine months ended September 30, 2003, respectively. For additional information concerning the Second Restatement adjustments for the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2003, see note 2 to the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial
statements and Developments in 2004 141




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and 2005  Nortel Audit Committee Independent Review; restatements; related matters in the MD&A
section of this report. For information concerning the Second Restatement adjustments for 2002 and
2001, see the Controls and Procedures section in our 2003 Annual Report.  Use of Estimates in Financial Reporting; Omission of 1999 and 2000 Selected Financial Data;
Decision Not to Amend Certain Previous Filings As described above, two material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting were
identified at the time of the First Restatement. During the Second Restatement process, a number
of additional material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting were identified,
as described below. Due to, among other factors, these material weaknesses, the significant
turnover in our finance personnel, changes in accounting systems, documentation weaknesses and the
passage of time generally, the Second Restatement involved the efforts of hundreds of our finance
personnel and a number of outside consultants and advisors. As described above, the process
required the review and verification of a substantial number of documents and communications, and
related accounting entries, over multiple fiscal periods. In addition, the review of accruals and provisions and the application of accounting literature to
certain matters in the Second Restatement, including revenue recognition, foreign exchange, special
charges and discontinued operations, was complicated by the passage of time, the lack of
availability of supporting records and the turnover of finance personnel noted above. As a result
of this complexity, estimates and assumptions that impact both the quantum of the various recorded
adjustments and the fiscal period to which they were attributed were required in the determination
of certain of the Second Restatement adjustments. We believe the procedures followed in
determining such estimates were appropriate and reasonable using the best available information. Also as a result of the above factors, as well as a likely inability to obtain third party
corroboration in certain cases due to the substantial industry adjustment in the telecommunications
industry beginning in 2001, we believe that extensive additional efforts over an extended period of
time would be required to restate our 1999 and 2000 selected financial data. We also believe that
selected financial data for these periods would not be meaningful to investors due to this industry
adjustment, which significantly impacted our financial results in 2001 and subsequent periods and
limits the relevance of financial results in periods prior to 2001 for purposes of analysis of
trends in subsequent periods. Given the long delay in filing the Reports, we believed that
investor understanding would be better aided by the dedication of our resources to the preparation
of the current financial and other information included in this and future reports. As a result,
except for the selected balance sheet data as at December 31, 2000, financial data for the years
ended December 31, 1999 and 2000 was not restated or presented in the Selected Financial Data
(Unaudited) section of the 2003 Annual Reports. This omitted data is normally required to be
included in an Annual Report on Form 10-K. A number of our and NNLs past filings with the SEC remain subject to ongoing review by the SECs
Division of Corporation Finance (which could result in the need to amend this or our other
filings). In addition, the Second Restatement involved the restatement of our consolidated
financial statements for 2001 and 2002 and the first, second and third quarters of 2003. Amendments
to our prior filings with the SEC would be required in order for us to be in full compliance with
our reporting obligations under the Exchange Act. However, for the same reasons discussed above,
we do not believe that it would be feasible for us to amend our 2002 Form 10-K/A. In addition, we
believe that amended disclosure in the 2002 Form 10-K/A, 2003 Form 10-Q/As and 2003 Form 10-Qs
would in large part repeat the disclosure in the 2003 Annual Reports, this report and the other
2004 Form 10-Qs. Accordingly, we do not plan to amend our 2002 Form 10-K/A, 2003 Form 10-Q/As or
2003 Form 10-Qs. We believe that we have included in the 2003 Annual Reports and this report all
information needed for current investor understanding and have taken similar steps in our other
2004 Form 10-Qs.  Material Weaknesses in Internal Control over Financial Reporting Identified During the Second
Restatement Over the course of the Second Restatement process, we, together with D&T, identified a number of
reportable conditions, each constituting a material weakness, in our internal control over
financial reporting as at December 31, 2003. In September 2004, management first notified the
Audit Committee of the possibility of additional material weaknesses. Over the remainder of the
Second Restatement process, management and D&T identified a total of six material weaknesses. On
January 10, 2005, D&T confirmed to the Audit Committee that it had identified these six material
weaknesses. No other reportable conditions were identified by us or D&T at the time of the Second
Restatement or through January 31, 2005. The material weaknesses identified were:  
    
    lack of compliance with written Nortel procedures for monitoring and adjusting
balances related to certain accruals and provisions, including restructuring charges and
contract and customer accruals; 142




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
    
    lack of compliance with Nortel procedures for appropriately applying applicable GAAP to
the initial recording of certain liabilities, including those described in SFAS No. 5, and
to foreign currency translation as described in SFAS No. 52;
    
    lack of sufficient personnel with appropriate knowledge, experience and training in
U.S. GAAP and lack of sufficient analysis and documentation of the application of U.S.
GAAP to transactions, including, but not limited to, revenue transactions;
    
    lack of a clear organization and accountability structure within the accounting
function, including insufficient review and supervision, combined with financial reporting
systems that are not integrated and which require extensive manual interventions;
    
    lack of sufficient awareness of, and timely and appropriate remediation of, internal
control issues by Nortel personnel; and
    
    an inappropriate tone at the top, which contributed to the lack of a strong control
environment. As reported in the Independent Review Summary, there was a Management tone
at the top that conveyed the strong leadership message that earnings targets could be met
through application of accounting practices that finance managers knew or ought to have
known were not in compliance with U.S. GAAP and that questioning these practices was not
acceptable. The foregoing material weaknesses contributed to the need for the Second Restatement. Upon
completion of our assessment of our internal control over financial reporting as at December 31,
2004 pursuant to SOX 404, we currently expect to conclude that the first five of these six material
weaknesses continued to exist as at December 31, 2004, and we continue to identify, develop and
begin to implement remedial measures to address them, as described below. * * * * * *  Current Status of Material Weaknesses in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting and
Expectations as to Required Management Conclusions and Independent Auditor Attestation
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act As noted in MD&A
 Risk factors/Forward looking statements, our 2004 Annual Report must comply with
SOX 404, which requires management to assess the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting annually and to include in our Annual Report on Form 10-K a management report
on that assessment, together with an attestation by our independent
auditors. As noted above, upon completion of our assessment of our internal control over
financial reporting as at December 31, 2004, we currently expect to conclude that the first five of
the six material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting described immediately
above continued to exist as at December 31, 2004 (and also constitute material weaknesses as now
defined under standards established by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board).
Accordingly, management expects to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting as
at December 31, 2004 is ineffective, and D&T has advised us that they expect their report on
managements assessment of internal control over financial reporting also to indicate that internal
control over financial reporting is ineffective. * * * * * *  Revenue Independent Review As more fully described above, over the course of the Second Restatement process, management
identified certain accounting practices that it determined should be adjusted as part of the Second
Restatement. In particular, management identified certain errors related to revenue recognition
and undertook a process of revenue reviews. In light of the resulting adjustments to previously
reported revenues, the Audit Committee has determined to review the facts and circumstances leading
to the restatement of these revenues for specific transactions identified in the Second
Restatement. The Revenue Independent Review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying
conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues. The Audit Committee will seek a
full understanding of the historic events that required the revenues for these specific
transactions to be restated and will consider any appropriate additional remedial measures,
including those involving internal controls and processes. The Audit Committee has engaged WCPHD
to advise it in connection with the Revenue Independent Review. 143




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* * * * * *  Remedial Measures At the recommendation of the Audit Committee, the Board of Directors adopted all of the
recommendations for remedial measures contained in the Independent Review Summary. The Board of
Directors has directed management to develop a detailed plan and timetable for the implementation
of these recommendations and will monitor their implementation. In addition, we have identified,
developed and begun to implement a number of measures to strengthen our internal control over
financial reporting and address the material weaknesses identified above, including pursuant to
recommendations from D&T. These measures are in the process of being reviewed in light of the
recommendations of the Independent Review and certain of these measures may be superseded by the
plans for the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review. A summary of these
measures, as well as previously announced personnel actions, follows.  
    
    Personnel Actions in Response to the First Restatement and Independent Review.  
    
    We terminated for cause our former president and chief executive officer, former chief
financial officer and former controller in April 2004 (the former chief financial officer and
former controller having been placed on paid leaves of absence in March 2004).
    
    We terminated for cause seven additional senior finance employees with significant
responsibilities for our financial reporting as a whole or for their respective business units
and geographic regions in August 2004.  
    
    Renewed Commitment to Best Corporate Practices and Ethical Conduct.  
    
    In August 2004, we adopted a new strategic plan that includes a renewed commitment to
best corporate practices and ethical conduct, including the establishment of the office of a
chief ethics and compliance officer (which was filled permanently with the appointment of Susan
E. Shepard effective February 21, 2005).
    
    Over the course of the Second Restatement, our current CEO and our CFO at that time,
William R. Kerr, have communicated to employees the importance of the Second Restatement
process, reliable and transparent financial reporting and ethical conduct. Those communications
included formal presentations as part of our annual executive conference in November 2004.
    
    In June 2004, management recommended, the joint leadership resources committee
recommended and the Board of Directors subsequently approved that financial accountability be
included as a key qualitative factor in the individual leadership performance objectives for
determination of incentive cash awards under our annual incentive plan.  
    
    Extended Balance Sheet Reviews.  
    
    We are implementing a plan to extend our balance sheet reviews through enhanced review
procedures to:
    
    require greater frequency of timely statutory and segment balance sheet reviews,
    
    clarify responsibilities within Nortel for organizing balance sheet reviews, and
    
    establish minimum documentation requirements with respect to balance sheet entries. 144




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
    
    Review of Finance Department Organizational Structure. We announced, and began to
implement, plans to transform our finance organization, which include a renewed commitment to
transparency as a fundamental goal. Measures we have begun to implement include:  
    
    In the first quarter of 2004, we began to enhance our global technical accounting group
and establish global revenue governance and global finance governance teams.
    
    We engaged Accenture, a global management consulting and technology services firm, in
the third quarter of 2004 to assess the finance organizations structure, processes and systems.
    
    We established a global corporate finance Sarbanes-Oxley compliance group beginning in
the third quarter of 2004.
    
    We have hired additional full-time finance personnel (with a focus on qualified
accounting professionals) as part of an initiative introduced by the CFO at that time, William
R. Kerr and the controller at that time, Maryanne E. Pahapill, in March 2004.
    
    We appointed a global finance transformation leader in the first quarter of 2005.  
    
    Training Initiatives.  
    
    We re-established our formal training group (led by the global finance governance team
described above) to implement ongoing training programs for finance personnel globally. The
groups focus includes training with respect to SFAS No. 5; accounting for hedging and
derivatives; revenue recognition, accruals and provisions; and SFAS No. 52.  
    
    Internal Audit.  
    
    In the first quarter of 2004, we modified the mandate of our internal audit function to
place a greater emphasis on the adequacy of, and compliance with, procedures relating to
internal control over financial reporting.
    
    In October 2004, we engaged outside consultants to conduct a strategic performance
review of the internal audit function. The objective of this review is to ensure that internal
audit continues to meet professional internal audit standards and moves towards audit best
practices.  
    
    Manual Journal Entry Processes.  
    
    In the fourth quarter of 2003, we began to modify our manual journal entry processes by
implementing new procedures, with a focus on approvals of manual journal entries, more stringent
documentation processes and reduction of user access to manual journal entry functions. As noted above, we continue to identify, develop and begin to implement remedial measures,
including the development of a detailed plan and timetable for the implementation of the
recommendations of the Independent Review. As part of the Revenue Independent Review, the Audit
Committee will also consider any appropriate additional remedial measures, including those
involving internal controls and processes. The above mentioned changes in internal control over financial reporting materially affected our
internal control over financial reporting, and these changes and expected changes as a result of
remedial measures to be developed and implemented are reasonably likely to materially affect our
internal control over financial reporting in the future. We intend to continue to make ongoing
assessments of our internal controls and procedures periodically and as a result of the
recommendations of the Independent Review and any additional recommendations of the Revenue
Independent Review. 145




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PART II OTHER INFORMATION 
  ITEM 1.
    
    Legal Proceedings The following includes updated information relating to certain of our material legal
proceedings as previously reported in our 2003 Annual Report. A class action lawsuit against Nortel was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York on behalf of shareholders who acquired the securities of JDS between
January 18, 2001 and February 15, 2001, alleging violations of the same U.S. federal securities
laws as the more than twenty-five purported class action lawsuits subsequent to the February 15,
2001 announcement in which Nortel provided revised guidance for financial performance for the
2001 fiscal year and the first quarter of 2001 (see Contingencies in note 19 of the
accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements). The district court granted Nortels
motion to dismiss the action on the grounds that plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the action,
and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the dismissal. On January 10, 2005, the U.S.
Supreme Court Order denied the plaintiffs appeal, ending the JDS litigation. Subsequent to the March 10, 2004 announcement in which Nortel indicated it was likely that it
would need to revise its previously announced unaudited results for the year ended December 31,
2003, and the results reported in certain of its quarterly reports for 2003, and to restate its
previously filed financial results for one or more earlier periods, Nortel and certain of its
then current and former officers and directors were named as defendants in 27 purported class
action lawsuits. These lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New
York on behalf of shareholders who acquired Nortel Networks Corporation securities as early as
February 16, 2001 and as late as May 15, 2004, allege, among other things, violations of U.S.
federal securities laws. These matters are also the subject of investigations by Canadian and
U.S. securities regulatory and criminal investigative authorities. On June 30, 2004, the Court
signed Orders consolidating the 27 class actions and appointing lead plaintiffs and lead
counsel. The plaintiffs filed a consolidated class action complaint on September 10, 2004,
alleging a class period of April 24, 2003 through and including April 27, 2004. On November 5,
2004, Nortel and the Audit Committee Defendants filed a motion to dismiss the consolidated class
action complaint. On January 18, 2005, the lead plaintiffs, Nortel, and the Audit Committee
Defendants reached an agreement in which Nortel would withdraw its motion to dismiss and
plaintiffs would dismiss Count II of the complaint which asserts a claim against the Audit
Committee Defendants. On May 18, 2004, a purported class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the
Middle District of Tennessee on behalf of individuals who were participants and beneficiaries of
Nortels Long-Term Investment Plan, or the Plan, at any time during the period of December 23,
2003 through the filing date and who made or maintained Plan investments in Nortel Networks
Corporation common shares, under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, for
Plan-wide relief and alleging, among other things, breaches of fiduciary duty. On September 3,
2004, the Court signed a stipulated order consolidating this action with the Consolidated ERISA
Action described in note 19 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements. On
June 16, 2004, a second purported class action lawsuit, on behalf of the Plan and Plan
participants for whose individual accounts the Plan purchased Nortel Networks Corporation common
 shares during the period from October 24, 2000 to June 16, 2004, and making similar allegations,
was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. On August 6, 2004,
the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued a conditional transfer order to transfer
this action to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee for coordinated or
consolidated proceedings pursuant to 28 U.S.C. section 1407 with the Consolidated ERISA Action.
On August 20, 2004, plaintiffs filed a notice of opposition to the conditional transfer order
with the Judicial Panel. On December 6, 2004, the Judicial Panel denied the opposition and
ordered the action transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
for coordinated or consolidated proceedings with the Consolidated ERISA Action. On January 3,
2005, this action was received in the Middle District of Tennessee and it has been consolidated
with the Consolidated ERISA Action. On July 30, 2004, a shareholders derivative complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of New York against certain directors and officers, and certain former
directors and officers, of Nortel alleging, among other things, breach of fiduciary duties owed
to Nortel during the period from 2000 to 2003 including by causing Nortel to engage in unlawful
conduct or failing to prevent such conduct; causing Nortel to issue false statements; and
violating the law. On February 14, 2005, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the
derivative complaint. 146




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On February 16, 2005, a motion for authorization to institute a class action on behalf of
residents of Québec, who purchased Nortel Networks Corporation securities between January 29,
2004 and March 15, 2004, was filed in the Québec Superior Court naming Nortel as a defendant.
The factual allegations allege that Nortel made misrepresentations about its 2003 financial
results. On March 9, 2005, Nortel and certain of its current and former officers and directors and its
auditors were named as defendants in a purported class proceeding filed in the Ontario Superior
Court of Justice, Commercial List, on behalf of all Canadian residents who purchased Nortel
Networks Corporation securities from April 24, 2003 to April 27, 2004. This lawsuit alleges,
among other things, negligence, misrepresentations, oppressive conduct, insider trading and
violations of Canadian corporation and competition laws in connection with Nortels 2003
financial results and seeks damages of Canadian $3,000, plus punitive damages in the amount of
Canadian $1,000, prejudgment and postjudgment interest and costs of the action. Except as noted above, there have been no material developments in our material legal
proceedings. For additional discussion of our material legal proceedings, see Contingencies
in note 19 of the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements and Risk
Factors/forward looking statements in the MD&A section of this report. 147




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ITEM 6.
    
    Exhibits *10.1
    
    Master Facility Agreement dated February 14, 2003 as amended July 10, 2003 between Nortel Networks Limited and
Export Development Canada, amended by Letter Agreement dated March 29, 2004, May 28, 2004, August 20, 2004 and
September 29, 2004 (filed as Exhibit 99.2 to Nortel Networks Corporations Current Report on Form 8-K dated
September 30, 2004).10.2
    
    William A. Owens, President and Chief Executive Officer Employment Letter dated as at August 31, 2004.10.3
    
    Resolutions of the Board of Directors of Nortel Networks Corporation dated July 30, 2004,
related to the remuneration of the chairman of the board, members of a board committee,
chairman of a board committee (other than the audit committee) and chairman of the audit
committee, effective July 1, 2004.10.4
    
    Resolutions of the Board of Directors of Nortel Networks Limited dated July 30, 2004, related
to the remuneration of the chairman of the board, directors, members of a board committee,
chairman of a board committee (other than the audit committee) and chairman of the audit
committee, effective July 1, 2004.31.1
    
    Certification of the President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350
as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.31.2
    
    Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.32
    
    Certification of the President and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer
pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002.
   *
    
    Incorporated by reference. 148




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SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. NORTEL NETWORKS CORPORATION
(Registrant) Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
    
    Chief Accounting Officer/s/ PETER W. CURRIE
    
    /s/ KAREN E. SLEDGEPETER W. CURRIE
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
    
    KAREN E. SLEDGE
Controller
 Date: March 18, 2005 149