Nortel Reports Financial Results for the Third Quarter 2011

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November 11, 2011

Financial Presentation and Q3 2011 Results

Nortel Networks Corporation (OTCBB:NRTLQ) announced its results for the third quarter of 2011. Results were prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) in U.S. dollars.

Nortel's consolidated results include the results of operations and financial position of Nortel Networks Corporation, its principal operating subsidiary Nortel Networks Limited, and their subsidiaries in the Asia, CALA, and EMEA regions other than those included in the U.S. or EMEA deconsolidated subsidiaries. As of June 1, 2010, and October 1, 2010, the EMEA Subsidiaries and U.S. Subsidiaries, respectively, were deconsolidated and accounted for under the cost method of accounting. In the context of the Creditor Protection Proceedings, Nortel continues to evaluate the method of accounting for all of its subsidiaries.

As a result of and following the divestitures of: (1) the Code Division Multiple Access/LTE Access and Enterprise Solutions businesses in the fourth quarter of 2009; (2) the Optical Networking and Carrier Ethernet, and Global System for Mobile communications/GSM for Railways businesses in the first quarter of 2010; (3) the Carrier VoIP and Application Solutions business; and Nortel's interest in the LG-Nortel (LGN) joint venture in the second quarter of 2010; (4) the multiservice switching products and related services business in the first quarter of 2011; and (5) the assets of Guangdong-Nortel Telecommunications Equipment Co. Ltd. (GDNT) in the second quarter of 2011, only the residual contracts not transferred with the businesses are included in Nortel's financial results.

As a result of the business sales, Nortel currently has one reportable segment, being the consolidated entity, as its chief operating decision maker reviews financial and operating results on that basis.

Financial Summary

Nortel's overall financial performance in the third quarter of 2011 was impacted by the sale of all of its businesses in prior quarters

Revenues

Revenues from continuing operations were $3 million in the third quarter of 2011 compared to $85 million for the third quarter of 2010, resulting from the business divestitures and the deconsolidation of the U.S. subsidiaries.

Discontinued operations revenues in the third quarter of 2011 were nil compared to nil for the third quarter of 2010. Nortel does not expect any further revenues to be generated by the discontinued operations in future reporting periods.

Operating Expenses 

Operating Expenses B/(W)

A focus on reducing costs, the business divestitures and the deconsolidation of the U.S. subsidiaries resulted in lower operating expenses compared to the year ago quarter. SG&A expense was $28 million in the third quarter of 2011, compared to $108 million for the third quarter of 2010. R&D expense was nil in the third quarter of 2011, compared to $3 million for the third quarter of 2010.

Net Earnings

The Company reported net earnings in the third quarter of 2011 of $4.1 billion compared to a net loss of $649 million in the third quarter of 2010.

The net earnings in the third quarter of 2011 included reorganization items of $4.2 billion and other operating income of $6 million comprised primarily of billings under transition services agreements, partially offset by interest expense of $82 million and other expense of $54 million.

Reorganization items of $4.2 billion were comprised of a gain on the sale of the remaining patents and patent applications of $4.5 billion, partially offset by charges incurred for employee-related expenses related to the court approval of employee claims of $182 million, distributions to non-Canadian estates no longer consolidated of $59 million, and professional fees of $18 million.

The net loss in the third quarter of 2010 included reorganization items of $529 million, interest expense of $77 million and other expense - net of $18 million, partially offset by other operating income of $94 million primarily related to billings under transition services agreements.

Reorganization items of $529 million primarily resulted from charges of $451 million primarily related to the remeasurement of liabilities related to Nortel's Canadian defined pension plans triggered by the cessation of all future pension accruals immediately prior to the transfer of the plans to a replacement administrator appointed by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Services pursuant to the terms of the previously announced court-approved Settlement Agreement regarding former Canadian employees. The remeasurement utilized wind-up basis assumptions resulting in a significant increase in the liabilities. Reorganization items also included professional fees of $47 million and a loss of $25 million related to purchase price adjustments from business divestitures. Other expense of $18 million was comprised primarily of a currency exchange loss of $44 million partially offset by rental income of $21 million

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Cash

The cash balance as of September 30, 2011 was $792 million, compared to a cash balance of $790 million as of June 30, 2011. Restricted cash was $7.6 billion primarily related to the business divestiture and IP proceeds. The cash balance was essentially flat.

As previously announced, Nortel does not expect that the Company's common shareholders or the Nortel Networks Limited preferred shareholders will receive any value from Nortel's creditor protection proceedings and expects that the proceedings will result in the cancellation of these equity interests.

Nortel will not be hosting a teleconference/audio webcast to discuss second quarter 2011 results.

Contacts for Press and Analysts:

Media Relations

MediaRelations@nortel.com

Additional Media & Analyst Contacts

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