Mobile phone indicators and their relation to the socioeconomic organisation of cities

Thanks to the use of geolocated big data in computational social science research, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of human activities are increasingly being revealed. Paired with smaller and more traditional data, this opens new ways of understanding how people act and move, and how these movements crystallise into the structural patterns observed by censuses. In this article we explore the convergence of mobile phone data with more classical socioeconomic data from census in French cities. We extract mobile phone indicators from six months worth of Call Detail Records (CDR) data, while census and administrative data are used to characterize the socioeconomic organisation of French cities. We address various definitions of cities and investigate how they impact the relation between mobile phone indicators, such as the number of calls or the entropy of visited cell towers, and measures of economic organisation based on census data, such as the level of deprivation, inequality and segregation. Our findings show that some mobile phone indicators relate significantly with different socioeconomic organisation of cities. However, we show that found relations are sensitive to the way cities are defined and delineated. In several cases, differing city definitions delineations can change the significance or even the signs of found correlations. In general, cities delineated in a restricted way (central cores only) exhibit traces of human activity which are less related to their socioeconomic organisation than cities delineated as metropolitan areas and dispersed urban regions.Comment: 19 pages, 9 figures, 2 table

Characterisation of urban environment and activity across space and time using street images and deep learning in Accra

The urban environment influences human health, safety and wellbeing. Cities in Africa are growing faster than other regions but have limited data to guide urban planning and policies. Our aim was to use smart sensing and analytics to characterise the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of features of the urban environment relevant for health, liveability, safety and sustainability. We collected a novel dataset of 2.1 million time-lapsed day and night images at 145 representative locations throughout the Metropolis of Accra, Ghana. We manually labelled a subset of 1,250 images for 20 contextually relevant objects and used transfer learning with data augmentation to retrain a convolutional neural network to detect them in the remaining images. We identified 23.5 million instances of these objects including 9.66 million instances of persons (41% of all objects), followed by cars (4.19 million, 18%), umbrellas (3.00 million, 13%), and informally operated minibuses known as tro tros (2.94 million, 13%). People, large vehicles and market-related objects were most common in the commercial core and densely populated informal neighbourhoods, while refuse and animals were most observed in the peripheries. The daily variability of objects was smallest in densely populated settlements and largest in the commercial centre. Our novel data and methodology shows that smart sensing and analytics can inform planning and policy decisions for making cities more liveable, equitable, sustainable and healthy

Characterisation of urban environment and activity across space and time using street images and deep learning in Accra

The urban environment influences human health, safety and wellbeing. Cities in Africa are growing faster than other regions but have limited data to guide urban planning and policies. Our aim was to use smart sensing and analytics to characterise the spatial patterns and temporal dynamics of features of the urban environment relevant for health, liveability, safety and sustainability. We collected a novel dataset of 2.1 million time-lapsed day and night images at 145 representative locations throughout the Metropolis of Accra, Ghana. We manually labelled a subset of 1,250 images for 20 contextually relevant objects and used transfer learning with data augmentation to retrain a convolutional neural network to detect them in the remaining images. We identified 23.5 million instances of these objects including 9.66 million instances of persons (41% of all objects), followed by cars (4.19 million, 18%), umbrellas (3.00 million, 13%), and informally operated minibuses known as tro tros (2.94 million, 13%). People, large vehicles and market-related objects were most common in the commercial core and densely populated informal neighbourhoods, while refuse and animals were most observed in the peripheries. The daily variability of objects was smallest in densely populated settlements and largest in the commercial centre. Our novel data and methodology shows that smart sensing and analytics can inform planning and policy decisions for making cities more liveable, equitable, sustainable and healthy

Mobile phone indicators and their relation to the socioeconomic organisation of cities

Thanks to the use of geolocated big data in computational social science research, the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of human activities is increasingly being revealed. Paired with smaller and more traditional data, this opens new ways of understanding how people act and move, and how these movements crystallise into the structural patterns observed by censuses. In this article we explore the convergence between mobile phone data and more traditional socioeconomic data from the national census in French cities. We extract mobile phone indicators from six months worth of Call Detail Records (CDR) data, while census and administrative data are used to characterize the socioeconomic organisation of French cities. We address various definitions of cities and investigate how they impact the statistical relationships between mobile phone indicators, such as the number of calls or the entropy of visited cell towers, and measures of economic organisation based on census data, such as the level of deprivation, inequality and segregation. Our findings show that some mobile phone indicators relate significantly with different socioeconomic organisation of cities. However, we show that relations are sensitive to the way cities are defined and delineated. In several cases, changing the city delineation rule can change the significance and even the sign of the correlation. In general, cities delineated in a restricted way (central cores only) exhibit traces of human activity which are less related to their socioeconomic organisation than cities delineated as metropolitan areas and dispersed urban regions

Banking on mobile : financial inclusion through FinTech : the Hidroelétrica de Cahora Bassa : IPO Case Study

Africa ranks as the lowest region in terms of financial inclusion (Beck & Cull, 2015). There is a wave of African countries implementing mobile money schemes (via USSD technology) as a way of tackling financial exclusion, given that financial inclusion is strongly linked to poverty (Demirguc-Kunt, et al., 2014; Robert, Tilman, Nina, 2014; Anarfo & Abor, 2020). This study looks at one such innovative example in Mozambique, where the use of similar technology allowed the unbanked to participate in a first-of-its-kind equity market transaction in the form of the HCB IPO. This thesis uses the case study format to discuss the extent to which using a USSD platform helped reach and include the unbanked and whether such as initiative was effective in stimulating participation in the local stock exchange. The case study allows students to explore and discuss the intersection of fintech and financial inclusion through the lens of the latest trends in developing countries. Overall, the case study suggests that the use of mobile money schemes had a positive impact on the reach and inclusion of the transaction. And, while it did help increase the number of investors in the Mozambique Stock Exchange, it was not as effective at increasing trading volume.A África é a região mais baixa em termos de inclusão financeira (Beck & Cull, 2015). Há uma vaga de países africanos a implementar esquemas de dinheiro móvel (através da tecnologia USSD) como forma de combater a exclusão financeira, dado que a inclusão financeira está fortemente ligada à pobreza (Demirguc-Kunt, et al., 2014; Robert, Tilman, Nina, 2014; Anarfo & Abor, 2020). Este estudo analisa um desses exemplos inovadores em Moçambique, onde a utilização de tecnologia semelhante permitiu aos não-bancários participar numa transação de mercado de ações de primeira ordem, sob a forma de IPO da HCB. Esta tese utiliza o formato de estudo de caso para discutir até que ponto a utilização de uma plataforma USSD ajudou a alcançar e incluir os não bancários e se tal iniciativa foi eficaz para estimular a participação na bolsa de valores local. O estudo de caso permite aos estudantes explorar e discutir a intersecção da fintech e da inclusão financeira através da lente das últimas tendências nos países em desenvolvimento. Resumindo, o estudo de caso sugere que a utilização de esquemas de dinheiro móvel teve um impacto positivo no alcance e inclusão da operação. E, embora tenha ajudado a aumentar o número de investidores na Bolsa de Valores de Moçambique, não foi tão eficaz no aumento do volume de transações

Developing a Model of Mobile Web Uptake in the Developing World

This research was motivated by the limited penetration of the Internet within emerging economies and the ‘mobile miracle’, which refers to a steep increase of mobile phone penetration. In the context of the developing world, harnessing the ‘mobile miracle’ to improve Internet access can leverage the potential of the Web. However, no comprehensive model exists, which can identify and measure indicators of Mobile Web uptake. The absence of such a model creates problems in understanding the impact of the Mobile Web. This has generated the key question under study in this thesis: “What is a suitable model for Mobile Web uptake and its impact in the developing world?”In order to address the research question, the Model of Mobile Web Uptake in the Developing World (MMWUDW) was created. It was informed by a literature review, pilot study in Kenya and expert reviews. The MMWUDW was evaluated using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with the primary data that consisted of the questionnaire and interview data from Indonesia. The SEM analysis was triangulated with the questionnaire results and interview findings. Examining the primary data to evaluate the MMWUDW was essential to understand why people used mobile phones to make or follow links on the Web. The MMWUDW has three main factors. These are Mobile Web maturity, uptake and impact. The results of the SEM suggested that mobile networks, percentage of income for mobile credits, literacy and digital literacy did not affect Mobile Web uptake. In contrast, web-enabled phones, Web applications or contents, and mobile operator services strongly indicated Mobile Web maturity, which was a prerequisite for Mobile Web uptake. The uptake then created Mobile Web impact, which included both positive and negative features; ease of access to information and a convenient way to communicate; being entertained and empowered; maintaining of social cohesion and economic benefits, as well as wasting time and money, and being exposed to cyber bullying. Moreover, the research identified areas for improvement in the Mobile Web and regression equations to measure the factors and indicators of the MMWUDW. Possible future work comprises advancement of the MMWUDW and new Web Science research on the Mobile Web in developing countries.<br/

Community multimedia centers in Mozambique: exploring and experimenting co-design

The overall aim of this doctoral thesis was to elucidate the premises and conditions in which a co-design approach can be used with rural communities in Mozambique and the usage of Information and communication technologies for development as a tool for supporting rural communities on daily activities. The doctoral thesis includes five papers, a systematic literature review, and four case studies. The literature review (I) provides an overview of 34 studies that describe the implementation of co-design with rural communities. In the review, papers published between 2002 and 2013 were clustered in three groups – information system, social design, and ICT4D. The analysis provided insightful information about the knowledge and taxonomies required to understand how actually co-design can be used to support communities. While the conventional development paradigm asserted that developing countries could be propelled to growth path by knowledge emanating from developed nations, new approaches give priority to design partnerships and participation by the local civil society as the best method to achieve sustainable development. Paper (II) describes a case study implemented in the Morrumbene district (Mozambique), which emphasizes the need to explore design spaces and meaningful dialogs to share past experiences and contextual knowledge. Data were collected via focus group sessions, which had as participant’s people from the local community, the CMC staff, and two researchers. Findings from the Morrumbene case show that an equalitarian approach where all participants’ ideas and perceptions are taken into consideration provides an artefact that unifies ideas and perceptions. It also creates conditions for individuals with social and political differences to work together, share ideas and competencies. Paper (III) brings a case study implemented in the Quelimane municipality. The case outlines a design perspective that brings up proactivity and trust as additional condiments to be taken into consideration while co- designing. Papers (IV) e (V) provides understanding on how co-design can be used to produce sustainable services for the community. The cases analyse aspects that hinder – or even stop – intended positive ICT4D benefits to becoming a reality. The case studies here presented were performed in the three regions of Mozambique (south, central and north), with social groups with different education level, language, and social status working towards the same objective. The findings of this thesis could be used to develop a plan to support CMC and to further improve rural community’s usage and adoption of ICT. CMC services are an important endeavour with significant payoff in communities’ daily lives and activities. This thesis also contributes to a more complete, balanced, and grounded image of how CMCs and local communities can work together to create socially and financially sustainable services

Industries without Smokestacks

Structural transformation in Africa has become a hot topic. One of the earliest stylized facts of development economics is that low-income countries have large differences in output per worker across sectors, and movement of workers from low- to high-productivity sectors—structural transformation is a key driver of economic growth. Between 1950 and 2006, about half of the catch-up by developing countries—led by East Asia—to advanced economy productivity levels was due to rising productivity within manufacturing combined with structural transformation out of agriculture. Manufacturing has the capacity to employ large numbers of unskilled workers, is capable of large productivity gains through innovation, and entails tradeable products that permit economies of scale and specialization. But manufacturing in Africa, rather than leading growth, has typically been a lagging sector. In 2014, the average share of manufacturing in GDP in sub-Saharan Africa hovered around 10 per cent, unchanged from the 1970s, leading some observers to be pessimistic about Africa’s potential to catch the wave of sustained rapid growth and rising incomes. This book challenges that view. It argues that other activities sharing the characteristics of manufacturing—including tourism, ICT, and other services as well as food processing and horticulture—are beginning to play a role analogous to the role that manufacturing played in East Asia. This reflects not only changes in the global organization of industries since the early era of rapid East Asian growth, but also advantages unique to Africa. These ‘industries without smokestacks’ offer new opportunities for Africa to grow in coming decades

Malawi’s Maize Marketing System

National food security in Malawi depends on improving the performance of maize markets. Ensuring that grain is consistently available at tolerable prices is crucial for consumers’ food security. At the same time, surplus producing farmers need to receive farm-gate prices consistently above production costs to intensify the use of fertilizer and other productivity enhancing technologies in a sustainable manner. These concerns give rise to the classic food price dilemma for policy makers in Malawi: how to keep prices low enough to ensure low income consumers’ access to food while keeping prices high enough to promote farm production incentives. These tensions cannot be avoided but they can be relieved through reducing food marketing margins, which shrink the wedge between producer and consumer prices. Moreover, Malawi faces major political and economic problems associated with food price instability especially given its dependence on rain fed agriculture in a region prone to drought. These issues show that improving the performance of maize markets is at the core of achieving sustainable food security and poverty reduction in Malawi.food security, Malawi, maize, marketing, food policy, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Security and Poverty, International Development, Marketing, q12, q18,

Partilha de infraestruturas de telecomunicações

Mestrado em Engenharia Eletrónica e TelecomunicaçõesAs telecomunicações móveis têm enfrentado enormes desafios em todo o mundo, com especial ênfase nos países emergentes. A sua crescente importância para o crescimento das economias dos países tornam a sua presença essencial num mundo cada vez mais global e tecnológico. A partilha de infraestruturas de telecomunicações torna a implementação de comunicações móveis numa dada região ou país mais facilitada. No caso de Moçambique, que é dos países mais pobres do mundo, a partilha seria uma estratégia interessante de forma a permitir um rápido crescimento dos serviços de telecomunicações. Neste projeto, foi desenvolvida uma ferramenta que auxilia o estudo tecno-económico de cenários de partilha de infraestruturas de telecomunicações. Esta ferramenta permitiu assim criar cenários para a realidade Moçambicana. Esta dissertação pretende contribuir para o desenvolvimento da área das telecomunicações em mercados emergentes.Mobile telecommunications have been facing a vast number of challenges across the globe, with special emphasis on emerging countries. Their increasing importance for economic growth of countries make the presence of infrastructure essential in a progressively more global and technological world. Sharing telecommunication infrastructures can facilitate the implementation of mobile communications in a giving region or country. In the case of Mozambique, one of the poorest country of the world, a sharing strategy could potentially allow for a rapid expansion of telecommunication services. In this work project, a tool that supports the techno-economic study of scenarios of telecommunication infrastructure sharing was developed. Through this mechanism, scenarios that consider the Mozambican’s reality have been set up. This dissertation aims then to contribute to the development of the telecommunications sector in emerging markets