The document discusses congestion in data networks. It defines congestion as occurring when the number of packets being transmitted approaches the network's handling capacity. This can cause packets to be lost if buffers fill up. Mechanisms for congestion control include backpressure from congested nodes to slow down incoming traffic, choke packets sent to sources to cut back transmission, and implicit or explicit signaling of congestion levels to sources. Frame relay and ATM networks employ various techniques for traffic management, policing, and scheduling to control congestion and meet quality of service guarantees for different connections.