A reference signal configuration method, comprising: generating, by a base station, resource configuration information, wherein the resource configuration information is used to indicate a resource unit occupied by a reference signal of a first terminal, a time-frequency resource on which the resource unit is located comprises a plurality of contiguous symbols in time domain and a plurality of contiguous subcarriers in frequency domain, the reference signal of the first terminal is carried in at least one of the plurality of symbols, the reference signal of the first terminal is carried in a plurality of subcarrier groups of said plurality of contiguous subcarriers on the at least one of the plurality of symbols that carries the reference signal of the first terminal, each of the plurality of subcarrier groups comprises a plurality of subcarriers whose frequencies are contiguous, wherein adjacent subcarrier groups of said plurality of subcarrier groups are spaced by a preset quantity of subcarriers, the reference signal of the first terminal occupies one subcarrier in each subcarrier group of said plurality of subcarrier groups, and the first terminal uses a first waveform for communicating with the base station; and sending, by the base station, the resource configuration information to the first terminal, wherein the first waveform is a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing DFT-S-OFDM waveform, wherein each subcarrier in the plurality of subcarrier groups that carry the reference signal of the first terminal is used to carry in the same subcarrier a reference signal of a second terminal, wherein the second terminal uses a cyclic prefix-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing CP-OFDM waveform for communicating with the base station, and the reference signal of the second terminal is a demodulation reference signal, DMRS. generating, by a base station, resource configuration information, wherein the resource configuration information is used to indicate a resource unit occupied by a reference signal of a first terminal, a time-frequency resource on which the resource unit is located comprises a plurality of contiguous symbols in time domain and a plurality of contiguous subcarriers in frequency domain, the reference signal of the first terminal is carried in at least one of the plurality of symbols, the reference signal of the first terminal is carried in a plurality of subcarrier groups of said plurality of contiguous subcarriers on the at least one of the plurality of symbols that carries the reference signal of the first terminal, each of the plurality of subcarrier groups comprises a plurality of subcarriers whose frequencies are contiguous, wherein adjacent subcarrier groups of said plurality of subcarrier groups are spaced by a preset quantity of subcarriers, the reference signal of the first terminal occupies one subcarrier in each subcarrier group of said plurality of subcarrier groups, and the first terminal uses a first waveform for communicating with the base station; and sending, by the base station, the resource configuration information to the first terminal, wherein the first waveform is a discrete Fourier transform-spread-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing DFT-S-OFDM waveform, wherein each subcarrier in the plurality of subcarrier groups that carry the reference signal of the first terminal is used to carry in the same subcarrier a reference signal of a second terminal, wherein the second terminal uses a cyclic prefix-orthogonal frequency division multiplexing CP-OFDM waveform for communicating with the base station, and the reference signal of the second terminal is a demodulation reference signal, DMRS.