Although Ice Cream Sandwich was recently released there may already be changes to the Android OS.  DoCoMo Inc., the leading Japanese mobile service provider, is planning on asking Google for a big change.  DoCoMo wants Google to alter the Android operating system as to place less pressure on networks.  Though DoCoMo is the first company to raise this concern it is believed that their stance could lead to more mobile companies putting pressure on Google.

At the heart of the matter is an Android application that allows voice communication free of charge.  This application has apparently caused service disruptions for the mobile provider.  On top of that there are other Android applications that send out control signals every three to five minutes even if the application is not being used.  That is about ten times the amount of other mobile phones which adds additional pressure for mobile providers to keep up.  This rise in data consumption has put more strain on mobile providers to increase their mobile capacity to keep up with the ever rising demand for data usage on the go.

DoCoMo’s plan is to ask Google to reduce the tendencies that Android sends out control signals.  Some believe that frequent service disruptions could even go so far as to hurt the popularity of the Android operating system and any hardware that may support it.  John Jackson, an analyst at a British wireless consulting firm called CCS says, “Other operators have complained, some publicly, about the pressure Android apps in particular are putting on their networks.”

DoCoMo is hopeful to team with other mobile service providers as well as Google to ask Android application developers to limit how often control signals are sent out.  Jackson commented on this fact saying, “I expect that at the very least operators worldwide will watch this dispute closely to see what remedy might be in the offing.”  He added that, “Either way, DoCoMo’s move comes at a challenging time for Google with the Android ecosystem failing to generate Apple-like revenue and OEM licensees coming under legal pressure from Microsoft Corp in particular.”

Jackson also believes that this may open a flood gate of other providers requesting more changes from Google.  This doesn’t mean that Google is going to scrap their newest operating system or rush to come out with yet another update.  It also does not mean that mobile application developers will have to make drastic changes in the way they go about developing apps.  This is just another step in the evolution of the always changing mobile landscape.

However it plays out it will be interesting to see what changes, if any, this may bring.  Some may believe that this will hurt the mobile operating system giant, but the better hunch is that they will use it to their advantage.  Situations like this are a great way for companies like Google to hear what public and private sectors want and make the proper changes.  With the resources that Google has it would not be shocking if the California based company not only fixed the issue, but used it to make Android that much better for its users.