The geography and carbon footprint of mobile phone use in Cote d'Ivoire

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the geographic distribution and usage patterns of mobile phones in Cote d'Ivoire, estimating energy consumption and mobility to understand the environmental impact and infrastructure dynamics.

Contribution

It provides new spatial analyses of mobile phone use in a developing country, linking geographic data with energy consumption and mobility patterns.

Findings

Mapping of base stations relative to population distribution

Estimation of mobile network energy consumption

Identification of high-traffic roads and mobility patterns

Abstract

The newly released Orange D4D mobile phone data base provides new insights into the use of mobile technology in a developing country. Here we perform a series of spatial data analyses that reveal important geographic aspects of mobile phone use in Cote d'Ivoire. We first map the locations of base stations with respect to the population distribution and the number and duration of calls at each base station. On this basis, we estimate the energy consumed by the mobile phone network. Finally, we perform an analysis of inter-city mobility, and identify high-traffic roads in the country.