Another piece of Nortel, the optical division, went to auction this week with another piece likely to go next week - leaving only two major pieces to be sold.

All this comes as Ericsson this week threw a party to mark its takeover of the wireless division and 900 Ottawa jobs.

Talking to a group of new Ericsson employees, they are unanimous: optimism abounds these days. There is some sadness for other workers whose fate is not yet determined.

  • Chris Struthers: "We kept waiting for Nortel to turn the corner, to start the comeback. We just kept waiting and it never did. Now I am just so happy."

  • John Jennings: "This is dream come true for us to be part of a Ericsson. To be a researcher and work here, it just could not get it any better."

  • Denise Marquis: "You know what is really so exciting? We went from a bankrupt company to the number one company in wireless. Now there is a feeling that anything is possible."

  • Larry Murat: "You can't argue with number one, and that is who we are now a part of. It's exciting."

Murat is a 23-year Nortel veteran. He told his co-workers at the party that "This is a wedding, not a wake."

It is perhaps the perfect irony that Mark Henderson, as CEO for Ericsson Canada, is himself a former Nortel worker - back when it was called BNR and he was a young electrical engineer.

He knew that the demise of Nortel would be emotional for the country and at times he thought the deal wasn't going to be allowed.

"I'm not surprised at the emotion because of what Nortel meant to the country and to the industry, but I was surprised at how hard Ericsson had to work to be heard on how long its been in Canada and how much it has invested here."

Henderson refuses to discuss Ericsson's plans to seek taxpayer financing for this deal. BDC, a crown agency, had been offering up to $300 million when Nokia was looking to buy.

It tells CTV News that Ericsson has asked for a meeting and is expected to make a proposal for financial assistance over and above previous help to sell into foreign markets.

Ericsson bought Nortel for its customers in established wireless technology and the future wireless technology called LTE. Ottawa people will stay here and the unit will grow and soon.

The incoming global CEO for Ericsson, Hans Vestberg, says his company is shifting its sights to North America and Nortel's LTE is key.

"We are doing everything we can to position ourselves in North America because we see the U.S. as the world's number one telecom market as they begin the shift to LTE technology."

This is still a tough business. Ericsson cut 5,000 staff earlier this year. Their last quarter failed to meet expectations. Sony-Ericsson cell phone partnerships is cutting 20,000 people .