An uplink reference signal transmission method, comprising determining, by a user terminal, an uplink reference signal position according to first higher layer signaling, wherein the uplink reference signal position comprises at least one uplink reference signal symbol group, and each uplink reference signal symbol group comprises a plurality of time units, a time interval of at least one time unit exists between every two time units in the plurality of time units, wherein the time unit is a time unit corresponding to a single carrier frequency division multiple access, SC-FDMA, symbol, or a time unit corresponding to an orthogonal frequency division multiple access, OFDMA, symbol, the at least one uplink reference signal symbol group is within 14 symbols; wherein the uplink reference signal position further comprises at least one uplink reference signal subcarrier group, and each uplink reference signal subcarrier group comprises at least 12 uplink subcarriers; determining, by the user terminal, in the uplink reference signal position according to received first control information of a physical channel, an uplink reference signal symbol group and an uplink reference signal subcarrier group corresponding to the user terminal, wherein the first control information comprises indication information of the uplink reference signal symbol group and indication information of the uplink reference signal subcarrier group; and sending, by the user terminal, an uplink reference signal in a time unit of the uplink reference signal symbol group corresponding to the user terminal in time domain and a subcarrier of the uplink signal subcarrier group corresponding to the user terminal in frequency domain. determining, by a user terminal, an uplink reference signal position according to first higher layer signaling, wherein the uplink reference signal position comprises at least one uplink reference signal symbol group, and each uplink reference signal symbol group comprises a plurality of time units, a time interval of at least one time unit exists between every two time units in the plurality of time units, wherein the time unit is a time unit corresponding to a single carrier frequency division multiple access, SC-FDMA, symbol, or a time unit corresponding to an orthogonal frequency division multiple access, OFDMA, symbol, the at least one uplink reference signal symbol group is within 14 symbols; wherein the uplink reference signal position further comprises at least one uplink reference signal subcarrier group, and each uplink reference signal subcarrier group comprises at least 12 uplink subcarriers; determining, by the user terminal, in the uplink reference signal position according to received first control information of a physical channel, an uplink reference signal symbol group and an uplink reference signal subcarrier group corresponding to the user terminal, wherein the first control information comprises indication information of the uplink reference signal symbol group and indication information of the uplink reference signal subcarrier group; and sending, by the user terminal, an uplink reference signal in a time unit of the uplink reference signal symbol group corresponding to the user terminal in time domain and a subcarrier of the uplink signal subcarrier group corresponding to the user terminal in frequency domain.