Oct 10, 2025
Use PopEx isochrones to model tower reach and travel-time service areas for telecom network planning.
Overview
Isochrones let telecom planners visualize how far subscribers can travel—or how far signal coverage effectively extends—from a given tower or hub within a certain time. In Population Explorer (PopEx), isochrones use the Mapbox Isochrone API to model drive-time or walking access zones. You can then analyze population, density, and income within those areas to balance coverage or plan backhaul links.
Unlike circular buffers, isochrones follow the actual road network and terrain, giving a more realistic estimate of service area reach. This is particularly valuable for rural networks or areas with complex geography where equal-distance buffers don’t reflect real accessibility.
Why This Matters
Telecom network expansion depends on understanding not just distance but accessibility. Using isochrones allows operators to model tower reach based on travel time, plan field routes, and assess how population coverage changes with network density.
Step-by-Step: Drawing Isochrones in PopEx
From the left drawer, create or select a working folder. Then go to New → Create Item → Isochrone.
Click on the map to select a tower or service point, or manually enter its latitude and longitude.
In the isochrone setup menu, select the Transport Mode (Driving, Driving + Traffic, Cycling, or Walking) and specify the Travel Time (≤ 60 minutes).
Click Add. PopEx uses the Mapbox Isochrone API to generate a travel-time polygon representing the reachable service area.
Once created, the isochrone polygon appears in the left drawer. Open its summary panel to view Population Total, Density, and Income metrics.
To compare multiple towers, repeat steps 1–5. Use folder-level Aggregation → Non-overlapping Children to prevent overlapping service area double counts.
Export your results via Export → Excel or Export → KML for reporting or coverage visualization.
Advanced Options
For custom configurations, open Layers → Settings to adjust data year (LandScan 2023 or WorldPop 2024+). Larger travel-time thresholds increase polygon size and processing time.
Best Practices
Use Driving + Traffic mode for realistic urban coverage assessments.
Keep travel-time thresholds consistent across towers to ensure fair comparisons.
Combine isochrones with tower buffers to model both signal and travel-time reach.
Integrate outputs with your analytics stack via the PopEx API for automation.
Example Applications
Use Case | Goal | PopEx Tool |
|---|---|---|
Assess real-world coverage reach | Travel-time polygons | Isochrone |
Compare tower service overlaps | Population balancing | Folder Aggregation |
Optimize technician routes | Travel distance per hub | Isochrone Export |
Model service equity | Coverage vs. accessibility | Isochrone + Population Metrics |
Verification
Compare isochrone-based population counts with buffer-based results to understand how accessibility affects service potential. When polygons overlap, use Non-overlapping Children to maintain clean totals. For very large areas or cross-border coverage, verify that the underlying road data supports the distance requested.
Next Steps
Balancing Service Areas with Population
