The relationship between mobile broadband usage and user mobility with lockdown restrictions in Spain

ABSTRACT This paper studies how COVID-19 lockdown restrictions encouraged and allowed people to form habits of increased mobile phone usage in Spain, even after the most restrictive measures were lifted. We have used data from the mobile network of a national telecommunications operator to study the influence of 15 different mobility restrictions on citizens’ use of mobile phones from 15 March 2020 to 15 April 2021 in a big Spanish city. In order to approach this issue, a quasi-experimental technique (before and after methodology) was implemented. We found that the use of smartphones presented an initial reduction with the first and most drastic mobility restrictions, but showed a growing use after their removal. However, user mobility was negatively influenced by all the mobility restrictions.