TY - JOUR
T1 - The geography of connectivity
T2 - a review of mobile positioning data for economic geography
AU - Erlström, Andreas
AU - Hall, Ola
AU - Grillitsch, Markus
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Connectivity between and within places is one of the cornerstones of geography. However, the data and methodologies used to capture connectivity are limited due to the difficulty in gathering and analysing detailed observations in time and space. Mobile phone data potentially offer a rich and unprecedented source of data, which is exhaustive in time and space following movements and communication activities of individuals. This approach to study the connectivity patterns of societies is still rather unexplored in economic geography. However, a substantial body of work in related fields provides methodological and theoretical foundations, which warrant an in-depth review to make it applicable in economic geography. This paper reviews and discusses the state-of-the-art in the analysis of mobile phone and positioning data, with a focus on call detail records. It identifies methodological challenges, elaborates on key findings for geography, and provides an outline for future research on the geography of connectivity.
AB - Connectivity between and within places is one of the cornerstones of geography. However, the data and methodologies used to capture connectivity are limited due to the difficulty in gathering and analysing detailed observations in time and space. Mobile phone data potentially offer a rich and unprecedented source of data, which is exhaustive in time and space following movements and communication activities of individuals. This approach to study the connectivity patterns of societies is still rather unexplored in economic geography. However, a substantial body of work in related fields provides methodological and theoretical foundations, which warrant an in-depth review to make it applicable in economic geography. This paper reviews and discusses the state-of-the-art in the analysis of mobile phone and positioning data, with a focus on call detail records. It identifies methodological challenges, elaborates on key findings for geography, and provides an outline for future research on the geography of connectivity.
KW - Connectivity
KW - Mobile phone data
KW - Spatial mobility
KW - Social networks
KW - Regional development
KW - Mobile positioning data
U2 - 10.1007/s10109-022-00388-4
DO - 10.1007/s10109-022-00388-4
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85134223909
SN - 1435-5949
VL - 24
SP - 679
EP - 707
JO - Journal of Geographical Systems
JF - Journal of Geographical Systems
IS - 4
ER -