First anniversary of Telefónica NEXT

Around five billion data points are generated each day in the Telefónica Deutschland network when mobile phones communicate with mobile cell sites. These can be used to calculate anonymised movement flows for the German population. Analysing mobile network data can contribute to transport planning and better air quality – this has been demonstrated by Telefónica NEXT with renowned cooperation partners in a total of five German cities. The data represent a valuable addition to existing measurement methods, which are often less accurate, more time-consuming or more expensive.

In November 2016, Telefónica NEXT worked with the lift-sharing app flinc to examine the potential of flexible shuttle systems based on anonymised mobile network data in Hamburg. In February 2017, a study conducted with the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) in Stuttgart demonstrated for the first time that mobile network data can be used to draw conclusions about transport. In Nuremberg, Telefónica NEXT and its cooperative partners tested a new method in April 2017 that enables pollutants in the air to be analysed on the basis of anonymised mobile network data.

Together with the transport consultancy IntraplanTelefónica NEXT has since August 2017 been offering one of the most detailed data platforms and analyses for transport planning in Munich. In the same month, the three-year project “ProTrain” was launched in Berlin. Together with seven other partners, Telefónica NEXT is optimising local public transport in Berlin and Brandenburg.

Based on the findings of the projects in the first year, Telefónica NEXT will further refine its analysis methods. “We will find partners with whom we can jointly tackle extensive and complex challenges, for example for cities, transport associations, transport companies and the automotive industry,” says Jens LappoehnManaging Director of Advanced Data Analytics at Telefónica NEXT.