A method for switching communication, the method comprising: Determining, by an access network device, that communication between a first user equipment and a second user equipment needs to be switched from a Device to Network, D2N, link to a Device to Device, D2D, link; Sending, by the access network device, a switching command to the first user equipment and the second user equipment to instruct communication between the first user equipment and the second user equipment to be switched at the air interface side from the D2N link to the D2D link; Receiving, by the access network device, a response message of completed switching by the first user equipment, and a response message of completed switching by the second user equipment; and Storing, by the access network device, bearer information of a bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, or sending a bearer maintenance request to a core network node to request the core network node for maintaining a core network side link corresponding to the bearer to be switched to the D2D link; wherein after the response message of completed switching by the first user equipment, and the response message of completed switching by the second user equipment are received, the method further comprises: if there are still service data, which have not been transmitted, or which have been transmitted but for which acknowledged reception feedbacks have not been received, over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, then the service data is processed as follows: service data in un-acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, discarding, by the access network device, the service data in the un-acknowledgment mode, or continuing with transmission of the service data in the un-acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link; and for service data in acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, continuing, by the access network device, with transmission of the service data in the acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link. Determining, by an access network device, that communication between a first user equipment and a second user equipment needs to be switched from a Device to Network, D2N, link to a Device to Device, D2D, link; Sending, by the access network device, a switching command to the first user equipment and the second user equipment to instruct communication between the first user equipment and the second user equipment to be switched at the air interface side from the D2N link to the D2D link; Receiving, by the access network device, a response message of completed switching by the first user equipment, and a response message of completed switching by the second user equipment; and Storing, by the access network device, bearer information of a bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, or sending a bearer maintenance request to a core network node to request the core network node for maintaining a core network side link corresponding to the bearer to be switched to the D2D link; wherein after the response message of completed switching by the first user equipment, and the response message of completed switching by the second user equipment are received, the method further comprises: if there are still service data, which have not been transmitted, or which have been transmitted but for which acknowledged reception feedbacks have not been received, over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, then the service data is processed as follows: service data in un-acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, discarding, by the access network device, the service data in the un-acknowledgment mode, or continuing with transmission of the service data in the un-acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link; and for service data in acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, continuing, by the access network device, with transmission of the service data in the acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link. if there are still service data, which have not been transmitted, or which have been transmitted but for which acknowledged reception feedbacks have not been received, over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, then the service data is processed as follows: service data in un-acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, discarding, by the access network device, the service data in the un-acknowledgment mode, or continuing with transmission of the service data in the un-acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link; and for service data in acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link, continuing, by the access network device, with transmission of the service data in the acknowledgment mode over the bearer of the D2N link, to be switched to the D2D link.