Statistics Estonia and mobile network operators restart mobility analysis
Statistics Estonia concluded agreements with Telia, Tele2 and Elisa to restart mobility analysis. The goal of the planned mobility analysis is to help the government evaluate the impact of the adopted COVID-19 countermeasures on the movement of people, assess change in the risk of infection and effectively plan communication in Estonian regions. Mobility will be analysed using the same methodology as in last spring.
According to Andres Kukke, Deputy Director General of Statistics Estonia, anonymised aggregate data from mobile communications are again used in the mobility analysis. “Real-time data of networks’ clients are not going to be used. The source data consist in anonymised aggregate data by region and day. As was the case last spring, the anonymous data do not allow identifying or analysing the movement patters of individuals. The data on the movement of mobile phones are only used to calculate for the whole country the rate at which Estonian inhabitants stay in place,” explained Kukke.
The first results are expected to be published this week at https://liikumisanalyys.stat.ee/.
The mobility analysis, prepared in co-operation between Statistics Estonia, mobile network operators and the Government Office, gives the government an overview of the movement of people. Based on the analysis, the government can decide whether, when and how to place restrictions against the spread of the virus in the society. The mobility analysis will continue to be prepared and transmitted to the government at least until the end of April.
Description of mobility analysis method
For the mobility analysis, mobile network operators use methodology developed in co-operation with Statistics Estonia, which ensures reliability and comparability.
Each network operator prepares a separate mobility analysis, using anonymous data from their own network as source data. They calculate the main location of each mobile phone number by determining the mobile phone masts that the number is connected to the longest in a 24-hour period. Both average and maximum distance from the main location are taken into account. It is not possible to identify or analyse movement patterns of individuals based on the anonymous data. The mobility analysis covers only Estonia and does not show in which countries Estonian residents have been.
The results are generalised at the level of municipalities and, when possible, at a more detailed level (e.g. by urban regions in Tallinn and Tartu). Statistics Estonia reviews the aggregate data received from the mobile operators and calculates the rate for staying local for the whole country, which is used to produce results, such as “87% of the mobile phones in XXX area remain local”. The enterprise Positium visualises the mobility analysis results on the Estonian map, available at https://liikumisanalyys.stat.ee/.
For further information:
Triin Küttim
Head of Marketing and Dissemination Department
Statistics Estonia
Tel +372 625 9316