A communication method performed by a terminal device, comprising: receiving, by the terminal device (6000, 7000), configuration information sent by a network device (1000, 9000); determining, by the terminal device (6000, 7000) and using the received configuration information, a configuration mode of one or more pilots used for K repeated transmissions, wherein the configuration mode is determined from a group of modes comprising the following modes: a first configuration mode, a second configuration mode, and a third configuration mode; and in the first configuration mode, the terminal device (6000, 7000) sends a same pilot in each of first N of the K repeated transmissions, and does not send a pilot in remaining K-N transmissions; in the second configuration mode, the terminal device (6000, 7000) sends a first pilot in each of first N of the K repeated transmissions, and sends a second pilot in each of remaining K-N transmissions; in the third configuration mode, the terminal device (6000, 7000) sends the first pilot in each transmission in a first round of K repeated transmissions, and sends the second pilot in each transmission in a second round of K repeated transmissions, wherein the first round of K repeated transmissions is adjacent to the second round of K repeated transmissions, a pilot pattern of the second pilot is the same as a pilot pattern of the first pilot, a pilot sequence of the second pilot is obtained after minus one is multiplied by a pilot sequence generated by the first pilot in a subframe in which the first pilot is located, K≥2, and N is a positive integer less than K; and sending (S203, S403), by the terminal device (6000, 7000), the pilots based on the determined configuration mode when performing the K repeated transmissions. receiving, by the terminal device (6000, 7000), configuration information sent by a network device (1000, 9000); determining, by the terminal device (6000, 7000) and using the received configuration information, a configuration mode of one or more pilots used for K repeated transmissions, wherein the configuration mode is determined from a group of modes comprising the following modes: a first configuration mode, a second configuration mode, and a third configuration mode; and in the first configuration mode, the terminal device (6000, 7000) sends a same pilot in each of first N of the K repeated transmissions, and does not send a pilot in remaining K-N transmissions; in the second configuration mode, the terminal device (6000, 7000) sends a first pilot in each of first N of the K repeated transmissions, and sends a second pilot in each of remaining K-N transmissions; in the third configuration mode, the terminal device (6000, 7000) sends the first pilot in each transmission in a first round of K repeated transmissions, and sends the second pilot in each transmission in a second round of K repeated transmissions, wherein the first round of K repeated transmissions is adjacent to the second round of K repeated transmissions, a pilot pattern of the second pilot is the same as a pilot pattern of the first pilot, a pilot sequence of the second pilot is obtained after minus one is multiplied by a pilot sequence generated by the first pilot in a subframe in which the first pilot is located, K≥2, and N is a positive integer less than K; and sending (S203, S403), by the terminal device (6000, 7000), the pilots based on the determined configuration mode when performing the K repeated transmissions.