Policing improves bandwidth utilization by using buffering to absorb high bursts of traffic.

The statement is incorrect because it misattributes the function of traffic shaping to traffic policing. Traffic policing enforces a configured rate limit by taking immediate action on non-conforming packets, which typically involves dropping them or re-marking them with a lower priority. Policing does not buffer excess traffic to absorb bursts. The mechanism described in the question—using buffering to absorb high bursts of traffic and smooth the output rate—is correctly defined as traffic shaping. Shaping delays excess packets in a queue (buffer) and transmits them later as bandwidth becomes available, thus improving bandwidth utilization by preventing packet drops that can trigger TCP retransmissions.

The statement "True" is incorrect because it fundamentally confuses the distinct Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms of policing and shaping. Policing acts as a gate that discards excess traffic, while shaping acts as a funnel that queues and delays excess traffic.

1. Nokia 7750 SR OS Quality of Service Guide, Release 21.10.R1:

Section: Policers: "Policers are used to enforce bandwidth limits for a service. When traffic exceeds the configured rate, the policer applies a configured action, which can be to drop the packets or to change the forwarding-class of the packets." This section clarifies that the action is immediate (drop/re-mark), not buffering.

Section: Shapers: "Shapers are used to smooth out traffic bursts by queuing packets that exceed the configured shaping rate. The queued packets are then transmitted as the queue drains. This ensures that the traffic sent from the queue does not exceed the configured rate." This explicitly defines shaping as the mechanism that uses queuing (buffering) to handle bursts.

2. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. (2017). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (7th ed.). Pearson.

Chapter 3, Section 3.7, "Principles of Congestion Control": While not a Nokia-specific source, this foundational academic text distinguishes between the two mechanisms. It explains that policing (often associated with leaky bucket algorithms with no buffering) results in packet loss for non-conforming traffic, whereas shaping (associated with token bucket or leaky bucket with buffering) delays packets to conform to a traffic profile. This distinction is a core principle in computer networking education.