A communication method performed by an access network device, the method comprising the steps: • sending indication information to a user equipment, wherein the indication information is used to indicate a receiving manner of multicast service data of a multicast service, and the receiving manner comprises a unicast manner, a multicast manner or a hybrid manner, wherein the hybrid manner comprises the unicast manner and the multicast manner; • if the indication information indicates that the receiving manner of the multicast service data is the unicast manner, sending the multicast service data to a unicast radio link control, RLC, entity in the access network device through a multicast packet data convergence protocol, PDCP, layer, and sending the multicast service data in the unicast manner to the user equipment; • if the indication information indicates that the receiving manner of the multicast service data is the multicast manner, sending the multicast service data to a multicast RLC entity in the access network device through the multicast PDCP layer, and sending the multicast service data in the multicast manner to the user equipment; and • if the indication information indicates that the receiving manner of the multicast service data is the hybrid manner: o sending the multicast service data to the multicast RLC entity and the unicast RLC entity in the access network device through the multicast PDCP layer, and sending the multicast service data in the multicast manner and the unicast manner to the user equipment. • sending indication information to a user equipment, wherein the indication information is used to indicate a receiving manner of multicast service data of a multicast service, and the receiving manner comprises a unicast manner, a multicast manner or a hybrid manner, wherein the hybrid manner comprises the unicast manner and the multicast manner; • if the indication information indicates that the receiving manner of the multicast service data is the unicast manner, sending the multicast service data to a unicast radio link control, RLC, entity in the access network device through a multicast packet data convergence protocol, PDCP, layer, and sending the multicast service data in the unicast manner to the user equipment; • if the indication information indicates that the receiving manner of the multicast service data is the multicast manner, sending the multicast service data to a multicast RLC entity in the access network device through the multicast PDCP layer, and sending the multicast service data in the multicast manner to the user equipment; and • if the indication information indicates that the receiving manner of the multicast service data is the hybrid manner: o sending the multicast service data to the multicast RLC entity and the unicast RLC entity in the access network device through the multicast PDCP layer, and sending the multicast service data in the multicast manner and the unicast manner to the user equipment. o sending the multicast service data to the multicast RLC entity and the unicast RLC entity in the access network device through the multicast PDCP layer, and sending the multicast service data in the multicast manner and the unicast manner to the user equipment.