Networks To Nokia: Please, Dear God, No AndroidNetworks To Nokia: Please, Dear God, No Android

As Nokia prepares to make a major shift in its mobile strategy, European network operators have hinted that they really, really, don't want Nokia to go with Android.Nokia's new-ish CEO, Stephen Elop, takes the stage in front of investors on Friday. He's set to reveal a new strategy and direction for the company, hopefully one that will put it back on the path to growth and profitability.

Some suspect that Nokia will ditch its MeeGo and Symbian operating systems and instead turn to Microsoft's fledgling Windows Phone 7 platform. I think that's a mistake, but it still remains a possibility. Others believe Nokia will adopt Google's Android platform.

This is not what European network operators want to hear.

According to the Financial Times, Vodafone, Telefonica, and France Telecom have all spoken up against Android. These operators feel that were Nokia to adopt Android, it would further polarize the Apple-Google duopoly that is forming. They are concerned that Apple and Google will consume and own the market. They don't want Apple and Google to have too much power over European mobile systems.

These network operators have said that they'd prefer Nokia to stick with its MeeGo platform, which has yet to really get out of the gate. MeeGo was announced only a year ago, and is a hybrid of Nokia's Linux-based Maemo platform, and Intel's Moblin platform. Or, if Nokia absolutely must, the operators concede that they would prefer Windows Phone 7 over Android. That way, there would at least be another player involved.

Nokia has not announced what it is going to do. This next week will be an interesting one for the world's largest phone maker. It is speaking to investors on Friday, and the press on Sunday. Whatever it is that Nokia has to say, let's hope it pleases both crowds.