SHERIDAN, WYOMING - March 31, 2026 - Telco cloud teams planning 2026 platform upgrades face fewer compatibility and maintenance constraints as ETSI Open Source MANO's OSM Release NINETEEN updates its core software stack, installation base and contributor workflows around current Kubernetes, Helm, Ubuntu and Python versions. The release keeps to the project's cadence of two releases per year and centers on codebase modernization intended to simplify future development, reduce exposure to end-of-life dependencies and improve how OSM interacts with modern Kubernetes clusters in public cloud environments.
Modernized stack and installation baseline
OSM Release NINETEEN updates all Python-based modules to Python 3.13, a change aimed at preventing reliance on Python versions approaching end of life. ETSI also states that the Angular framework used in the NGUI module has been upgraded to the latest Angular framework, extending the modernization effort beyond backend components to the user interface layer.
The release also updates all OSM modules to support the latest versions of Kubernetes and Helm, along with associated libraries. ETSI says this is intended to guarantee interaction with modern Kubernetes clusters in public clouds, including Kubernetes versions planned for the next year. For deployment environments, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS becomes the new base operating system for community installation of OSM, and the installer has been updated for that operating system, newer subcharts in the OSM Helm chart and upgraded client tools.
Developer workflow and release management changes
A major operational change in Release NINETEEN is the move to fully independent repositories. ETSI says contributors previously needed detailed knowledge of OSM internals to contribute to a module, creating avoidable friction. The release removes Debian package generation, simplifies dependencies on common modules and introduces a single Dockerfile and Jenkinsfile per module so developers can test code more easily and replace modules on a running OSM installation.
Contribution testing is also being simplified through a pipeline designed to be easier to follow and maintain. Beyond developer onboarding, ETSI is adding automation for project management tasks, including a pipeline for point releases that turns that process into a one-click operation. Daily end-to-end tests in internal testbeds are being complemented by weekly pipelines that monitor stable releases by mimicking end-user installation patterns and identifying errors tied to outdated dependencies more quickly.
Business impact
Operations directors and platform engineering teams can use the Release NINETEEN changes to tighten 2026 upgrade roadmaps around supported versions of Ubuntu, Kubernetes, Helm and Python rather than carrying internal workarounds for aging dependencies. The practical effect is more predictable lifecycle planning for OSM-based telco cloud orchestration and a clearer basis for scheduling environment refreshes in public cloud and cloud-native network infrastructure deployments.
Procurement leads and technology evaluation teams gain a more current benchmark for vendor and open-source orchestration assessments because the release aligns OSM with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Python 3.13 and newer Kubernetes and Helm support. That matters in 2026 budget cycles when organizations are deciding whether to fund platform migration, support services or internal engineering effort around MANO and telco cloud stacks. Development managers also get a more maintainable contribution model through self-contained repositories, simpler CI workflows and automated point-release handling, which can reduce the cost of customization and ongoing support for organizations building on OSM. ETSI's references to cloud-native orchestration, smart networks and energy efficiency also position the release within broader network modernization programs where software lifecycle discipline and sustainable infrastructure operation are becoming linked planning criteria.