A method for activating or deactivating a carrier, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment, a High Speed Shared Control Channel, HS-SCCH, order transmitted by a base station, wherein the HS-SCCH order carries indication information, the indication information comprises three bits x ord,1, x ord,2, and x ord,3, wherein x ord,1 is 0 or 1, and the indication information is used to indicate activation or deactivation of a secondary uplink carrier and a secondary downlink carrier for communication between the user equipment and the base station; characterized in that the method further comprises: determining, by the user equipment, x ord,1 =0 no matter whether the value of x ord,1 in the received HS-SCCH order is 1 or 0, wherein x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="000" is determined as deactivation of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier, x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="001" is determined as activation of the secondary downlink carrier and deactivation of the secondary uplink carrier, x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="011" is determined as activation of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier; and updating an activation or deactivation state of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier according to the determined three bits x ord,1, x ord,2, and x ord,3. receiving, by a user equipment, a High Speed Shared Control Channel, HS-SCCH, order transmitted by a base station, wherein the HS-SCCH order carries indication information, the indication information comprises three bits x ord,1, x ord,2, and x ord,3, wherein x ord,1 is 0 or 1, and the indication information is used to indicate activation or deactivation of a secondary uplink carrier and a secondary downlink carrier for communication between the user equipment and the base station; characterized in that the method further comprises: determining, by the user equipment, x ord,1 =0 no matter whether the value of x ord,1 in the received HS-SCCH order is 1 or 0, wherein x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="000" is determined as deactivation of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier, x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="001" is determined as activation of the secondary downlink carrier and deactivation of the secondary uplink carrier, x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="011" is determined as activation of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier; and updating an activation or deactivation state of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier according to the determined three bits x ord,1, x ord,2, and x ord,3. determining, by the user equipment, x ord,1 =0 no matter whether the value of x ord,1 in the received HS-SCCH order is 1 or 0, wherein x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="000" is determined as deactivation of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier, x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="001" is determined as activation of the secondary downlink carrier and deactivation of the secondary uplink carrier, x ord,1, x ord,2, x ord,3 ="011" is determined as activation of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier; and updating an activation or deactivation state of the secondary uplink carrier and the secondary downlink carrier according to the determined three bits x ord,1, x ord,2, and x ord,3.