This week’s #MobileMonday sees the use of mobile data and wifi tracking to curate a more enjoyable commute and shopping experience. And, speaking of shopping, sub-Saharan Africa got a considerable boost to its mobile wallet access, too.

Wifi tracking in London’s mass transit system to gather data about commuter travel activity

London’s mass transit is gearing up to leverage an army of smartphone-wielding commuters to improve its services. More specifically, a pilot program will gather user behavior data with the hope of cutting down on transit slowdowns and heavy crowding.

The program, called Transport for London, will use existing free wifi locations throughout the transit system to collect anonymized data from those who use their mobile devices to connect. This approach will let London transit go beyond simply tracking commuters as they enter or exit a station and reach a deeper level that will reveal new metrics, such as how much time commuters spend at each stop. The wifi tracking program is slated to last four weeks.

Google Maps shows crowds in real-time to help you dodge Black Friday hordes

Frequent Google Maps users already know just how useful it can be for tasks beyond mere navigation. Last year, for example, the venerable app introduced a “Popular Times” feature in which historic user data was compiled to determine how busy a given establishment is likely to be at different times of day.

Though this addition has helped users estimate how large crowds may be during their next visit, Google Maps’ latest update could help them avoid the crowd entirely. With it, users can now see real-time previews on the app to determine how big the crowds really are in addition to how long they’ll be hanging around.

Mobile pay options in sub-Saharan Africa broaden through MFS Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa now has even greater access to mobile wallet services thanks to new partnerships between MFS Africa and mobile network operators. As evidence of its newfound reach, MFS Africa recently announced a milestone of 120 million mobile wallet connections to the MFS Hub. The company hopes its solution will increase interoperability among Africa’s diverse markets by scaling transactions across networks and geographic borders. Doing so will bring increased financial inclusion and improved trade opportunities to the region.

Check back next week for the latest batch of #MobileMonday news!

The post #MobileMonday: Wifi tracking creates a better London commute and easier Black Friday shopping appeared first on Mobile Business Insights.