A comparison of two proximity networks

Abstract

We present a comparative exploratory analysis of two proximity networks of mobile phone users, the Proximates network and the Reality Mining network. Data for both networks were collected from mobile phones carried by two groups of users. Periodic Bluetooth scans were performed to detect the proximity of other mobile phones. The Reality Mining project took place in 2004-2005 at MIT, while Proximates took place in Sweden in 2012-2013. We show that the differences in sampling strategy between the two networks has effects on both static and dynamic metrics. We also find that fundamental metrics of the static Proximates network capture social interactions characteristics better than in the static Reality Mining network.