The rapid expansion of mobile communication technologies has led to the continuous generation of large volumes of location data by mobile network users. When used properly and legally, these data provide a valuable source for producing official statistics in areas such as migration, tourism, crisis mobility, transportation, and crisis management. The present paper is designed to explore the potentials and limitations of employing mobile positioning data and to outline a methodological framework for producing statistics based on these data within the national statistical system. Given the lack of Persian references in this field, this study seeks to provide a practical framework for the use of mobile phone data in the production of official statistics through a comprehensive review of international literature and the analysis of a real dataset. Within this framework, various types of mobile phone data and their applications in statistical production are introduced, and the legal, ethical, and technical requirements for their use are examined. Furthermore, the methodology for extracting and processing mobile positioning data is described, and a case study based on a dataset related to urban mobility patterns is presented. The main contribution of this research lies in documenting practical experiences and transferring technical knowledge to support the localization and application of such data within the national statistical system.
The case study showed that crises significantly reduce users’ mobility, with fewer individuals moving and travel concentrated in specific areas.