The Relationship between Social Networks and Spatial Mobility: A Mobile-Phone-Based Study in Estonia

ABSTRACT

Relationships between individuals and their social networks have a significant influence on spatial mobility and transportation needs. This article focuses on networks of calling partners using mobile phones and spatial mobility in Estonia. Mobile phone call graphs and call detail record (CDR) data have been used for this study. Our investigation indicates that the larger one’s network of calling partners using mobile phones and the larger the geographic area within which the calling partners live, the more an individual moves around. The connection between the network of mobile calling partners and spatial mobility is most influenced by gender. Used in this way, mobile phone data can be seen to allow studies to be undertaken of the connection between mobile communication networks and spatial mobility.

KEYWORDS:

• Social network
• spatial mobility
• activity space
• mobile positioning
• gender
• Estonia

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the collaboration in data collection and management to Positium LBS.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on Contributors

Anniki Puura is a junior research fellow of Human Geography, University of Tartu, Estonia.

Siiri Silm is a research fellow of Human Geography, University of Tartu, Estonia.

Rein Ahas is a professor of Human Geography, University of Tartu, Estonia.

ORCID

Anniki Puura http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5088-1094

Rein Ahas http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4703-1587

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the institutional research grant [grant. no IUT 2-17] of the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia; Research Professor grant of Estonian Academy of Sciences; grant Real-time Location-based Big Data Algorithms [grant no. 3.2.1201.13-0009] of Archimedes Foundation; the research grant “Urbanization, Mobilities and Immigration (URMI)” of Finnish Academy; and the Estonian Science Infrastructure Road Map project “Infotechnological Mobility Observatory (IMO)”.