Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo has given its strongest support yet to Google’s Android operating platform by stating it is considering development of a mobile phone based on the technology. “We are starting discussions to offer handsets that will have the Android operating system,” news site InfoWorld reports Takeshi Natsuno, Managing Director of DoCoMo, as saying. According to the report, the talks include support for I-mode – DoCoMo’s successful mobile Internet service used by nearly 48 million of its 53 million total customer base – on the Android platform.

Android is a Linux-based platform for mobile phones that aims to combine open source components and includes an operating system, a middleware stack, a customisable user interface and applications. DoCoMo is one of the founding members of the Open Handset Alliance, the group developing Android, announced last November. Until this week, however, it hadn’t disclosed what it hoped to gain from its participation in the group. Other alliance members include operators China Mobile, KDDI, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Telefonica and Telecom Italia. Vendors include HTC, LG Electronics, Motorola, Samsung, Broadcom and Qualcomm.