Correlating mobile phone usage and travel behavior – A case study of Harbin, China

Information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as mobile phones and the Internet, are increasingly pervasive in modern society. These technologies provide new resources for spatio-temporal data mining and geographic knowledge discovery. Since the development of ICTs also impacts physical movement of individuals in societies, much of the existing research has focused on examining the correlation between ICT and human mobility. In this paper, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of how usage of mobile phones correlates with individual travel behavior by exploring the correlation between mobile phone call frequencies and three indicators of travel behavior: (1) radius, (2) eccentricity, and (3) entropy. The methodology is applied to a large dataset from Harbin city in China. The statistical analysis indicates a significant correlation between mobile phone usage and all of the three indicators. In addition, we examine and demonstrate how explanatory factors, such as age, gender, social temporal orders and characteristics of the built environment, impact the relationship between mobile phone usage and individual activity behavior.

► Three indicators for travel behavior: Movement radii, eccentricity and entropy. ► All three indicators are significantly correlated to mobile phone usage. ► Built environment should be considered as an important explanatory factor. ► There are substantial differences among age groups when exploring the correlation. ► No substantial differences between gender groups and social temporal order.