Technically, Nortel started to file its 2003 annual report with the Securities & Exchange Commission. That said, there is something not-quite-right about how and when it went about doing it.
A month ago, Nortel said it would "commence" to file its 10-K for 2003 as well as its Q1 and Q2 results from 2004 on Jan. 10. Last week, it decided to amend this approach by only filing its 10-K while making investors wait several weeks for the Q1, Q2 and Q3 results for 2004. Today, Nortel made another small change by saying it would "commence" to file its 10-K after the markets close. Given Nortel's filing is a few hundred pages,the SEC will likely be unable to get the 10-K out today.
Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive about Nortel's filing behaviour but this is a company with a terrible optics problems and little goodwill with the investment community. After missing four self-imposed deadlines to file its restated results, Nortel set Jan. 10 as "D-Day". Most people assumed the numbers would available today but Nortel gave itself enough to wiggle room to change the rules a little bit and make people wait until Tuesday morning.
You have to wonder why Nortel couldn't have started to file its 10-K this morning. Maybe it wants to play head games with investors, or maybe its 650 accountants had some last minutee work to do. Whatever the reason, it looks amateurish.

Nortel is 'threatening" to release its 10-K with the Securities & Exchange Commission after the markets close today. A friend of mine, Tyler Hamilton, wrote an extensive story today in the Toronto Star about what's next for the troubled company. I did a piece last month looking at the same issues. Both stories provide solid information for investors on Nortel after its accounting woes fade into the background.

In-Stat has published some interesting research today about cable VOIP. In
particular, it contends that of the 11.8 million global cable telephony
subscribers, more than 95% are using circuit-switch technology. A good
example in Halifax-based Eastlink Communications, Canada's seventh-largest
cableco in Canada, which has been offering cable telephony using traditional
circuit-switched technology over coaxial cable since 1999.
In-Stat forecasts the number of cable telephony customers will climb to 14
million later this year and more than 22 million by the end of 2008.
"The use of advanced IP voice technologies is beginning to attract more
cable operators to the idea of delivering voice services," In-Stat analyst
Mike Paxton said. "Indeed, the buzz surrounding VoIP telephony services has
been constant during the past year, and virtually all leading North American
cable operators are either investing resources to further explore VoIP's
viability, or have actually deployed the service."
While cable telephony is somewhat vibrant in the U.S. with Cablevision's
leading the charge, the market in Canada - other than Eastlink - has been
fairly quiet. This will change dramatically later this year when Videotron,
Rogers and Shaw jump into the market.