A communication method, wherein the method is performed by a terminal device, and the method comprises: receiving a first downlink channel in a first area, wherein the first downlink channel is used to carry first data in a broadcast manner, wherein the first area comprises one or more cells located in a broadcast area of an access network device; and receiving a second downlink channel in a second area, wherein the second downlink channel is used to retransmit the first data in a broadcast manner, wherein the second area comprises one or more cells located in the broadcast area of the access network device; wherein the second area is smaller than the first area; wherein the first downlink channel is scrambled by using a first identifier, the second downlink channel is scrambled by using a second identifier, and the first identifier and the second identifier are identifiers configured by the access network device; wherein before the receiving a second downlink channel, the method further comprises: determining a channel resource used to feed back acknowledgment information, wherein the channel resource is indicated by using indication information, and sending a negative acknowledgment to the access network device on the channel resource; wherein the channel resource is a feedback channel resource corresponding to the second area, the channel resource belongs to a first resource set, and the first resource set is a set of feedback channel resources corresponding to the first area; wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel meet the following: waveform parameters of the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are different, wherein a larger cyclic prefix, CP, is configured for the first downlink channel, and a smaller CP is configured for the second downlink channel. receiving a first downlink channel in a first area, wherein the first downlink channel is used to carry first data in a broadcast manner, wherein the first area comprises one or more cells located in a broadcast area of an access network device; and receiving a second downlink channel in a second area, wherein the second downlink channel is used to retransmit the first data in a broadcast manner, wherein the second area comprises one or more cells located in the broadcast area of the access network device; wherein the second area is smaller than the first area; wherein the first downlink channel is scrambled by using a first identifier, the second downlink channel is scrambled by using a second identifier, and the first identifier and the second identifier are identifiers configured by the access network device; wherein before the receiving a second downlink channel, the method further comprises: determining a channel resource used to feed back acknowledgment information, wherein the channel resource is indicated by using indication information, and sending a negative acknowledgment to the access network device on the channel resource; wherein the channel resource is a feedback channel resource corresponding to the second area, the channel resource belongs to a first resource set, and the first resource set is a set of feedback channel resources corresponding to the first area; wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel meet the following: waveform parameters of the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are different, wherein a larger cyclic prefix, CP, is configured for the first downlink channel, and a smaller CP is configured for the second downlink channel. determining a channel resource used to feed back acknowledgment information, wherein the channel resource is indicated by using indication information, and sending a negative acknowledgment to the access network device on the channel resource; wherein the channel resource is a feedback channel resource corresponding to the second area, the channel resource belongs to a first resource set, and the first resource set is a set of feedback channel resources corresponding to the first area; wherein the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel meet the following: waveform parameters of the first downlink channel and the second downlink channel are different, wherein a larger cyclic prefix, CP, is configured for the first downlink channel, and a smaller CP is configured for the second downlink channel.