On information propagation in mobile call networks

Abstract

We consider the dynamics of rapid propagation of information (RPI) in mobile phone networks. We propose a heuristic method for identification of sequences of calls that supposedly propagate the same information and apply it to large-scale real-world data. We show that some of the information propagation events identified by the proposed method can explain the physical co-location of subscribers. We further show that features of subscriber’s behavior in these events can be used for efficient churn prediction. To the best of our knowledge, our method for churn prediction is the first method that relies on dynamic, rather than static, social behavior. Finally, we introduce two generative models that address different aspects of RPI. One model describes the emergence of sequences of calls that lead to RPI. The other model describes the emergence of different topologies of paths in which the information propagates from one subscriber to another. We report high correspondence between certain features observed in the data and these models.