Regionalising mobile phone data: attributing time components to optimised regions to create region classifications

This paper outlines the development of a classification for a new set of optimised spatial units for the aggregation of mobile phone in-app data. We create regions which aim to strike balance between disclosure control and data granularity, and attribute to each region a time classification reflecting the region’s dominant time of mobile phone activity. We aim to provide a methodology for the making of bespoke geographical regions and classifications for the use and dissemination of sensitive granular data in research.