A reference signal receiving method, comprising: receiving time-frequency resource configuration information of a downlink control channel from an access network device, wherein the time-frequency resource configuration information of the downlink control channel indicates a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource is a time-frequency resource used to transmit the downlink control channel, the first time-frequency resource comprises M resource blocks, and M is a positive integer; receiving time-frequency resource configuration information of a downlink data channel from the access network device, wherein the time-frequency resource configuration information of the downlink data channel indicates a second time-frequency resource, the second time-frequency resource is a time-frequency resource used to transmit the downlink data channel, an intersection exists between the second time-frequency resource and N resource blocks in the M resource blocks, and N is a positive integer less than M; receiving first indication information from the access network device, wherein the first indication information indicates whether N1 resource blocks in the N resource blocks can be used to transmit the downlink data channel, the N1 resource blocks are resource blocks in a rate matching pattern group in the N resource blocks, and N1 is a positive integer; determining, based on the second time-frequency resource, the N resource blocks, and the first indication information, a position of a reference signal of the downlink data channel in the second time-frequency resource; and receiving the reference signal. receiving time-frequency resource configuration information of a downlink control channel from an access network device, wherein the time-frequency resource configuration information of the downlink control channel indicates a first time-frequency resource, the first time-frequency resource is a time-frequency resource used to transmit the downlink control channel, the first time-frequency resource comprises M resource blocks, and M is a positive integer; receiving time-frequency resource configuration information of a downlink data channel from the access network device, wherein the time-frequency resource configuration information of the downlink data channel indicates a second time-frequency resource, the second time-frequency resource is a time-frequency resource used to transmit the downlink data channel, an intersection exists between the second time-frequency resource and N resource blocks in the M resource blocks, and N is a positive integer less than M; receiving first indication information from the access network device, wherein the first indication information indicates whether N1 resource blocks in the N resource blocks can be used to transmit the downlink data channel, the N1 resource blocks are resource blocks in a rate matching pattern group in the N resource blocks, and N1 is a positive integer; determining, based on the second time-frequency resource, the N resource blocks, and the first indication information, a position of a reference signal of the downlink data channel in the second time-frequency resource; and receiving the reference signal.