Marina Martinelli, PhD Student at SMARTNESS, was featured in the fourth episode of the Futurecom Connect podcast—a series produced by Futurecom in partnership with Itshow. The episode gathered leading voices in the field to explore the future of 5.5G and 6G networks and their implications for digital transformation, sustainability, and the evolution of connectivity.
In the discussion, Marina offered insights grounded in her research and academic work at SMARTNESS. She emphasized the critical role of modernizing data centers to meet the growing demands of next-generation mobile networks and the importance of integrating artificial intelligence technologies and advanced cooling solutions to boost operational efficiency and sustainability.
Marina also pointed out the need for edge computing and decentralized infrastructure investments to deliver the low-latency, high-bandwidth performance required by emerging hyperconnected applications. In her view, advancing toward 6G will require technological progress and a multidisciplinary approach to public policy and innovation frameworks.
Another issue raised was the energy impact of processing large volumes of data. Marina stressed that rethinking the role of data centers and investing in distributed computing solutions (Edge and Fog Computing) will be essential to reduce costs and environmental impact.
Marina joined Henry Rodrigues, Executive Manager of the xGMobile project at Inatel, in a conversation led by journalist Márcio Montagnani. The episode also covered battery-free IoT devices, improved power amplifiers, network infrastructures acting as massive sensors, and Brazil’s role in shaping next-generation telecom standards.
Marina Martinelli’s participation highlights SMARTNESS’s active engagement in key discussions shaping the future of telecommunications, bridging academic research with industry needs and global technological shifts.
The episode is available on the Futurecom YouTube Channel
