Cellpath Routing and Route Traffic Flow Estimation Based on Cellular Network Data

Abstract

The signaling data in cellular networks provide means for analyzing the use of transportation systems. We propose methods that aim to reconstruct the used route through a transportation network from call detail records (CDRs) which are spatially and temporally sparse. The route estimation methods are compared based on the individual routes estimated. We also investigate the effect of different route estimation methods when employed in a complete network assignment for a larger city. Using an available CDR dataset for Dakar, Senegal, we show that the choice of the route estimation method can have a significant impact on resulting link flows.