A data transmission method comprising: receiving, by a radio link control, RLC, protocol entity unit of a data receive end, a transmission control protocol, TCP, acknowledgement from a TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end, wherein the TCP acknowledgement received from the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end is generated by the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end; whereby the method further comprises: determining, by the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end, based on content of the TCP acknowledgment received from the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end, whether an RLC protocol entity unit of a data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement, and generating indication information indicating whether the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement; and sending, by the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end, the indication information to the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end, the method further characterized by: if the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise data content, the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise indication information used to indicate that the TCP acknowledgement is a synchronization, SYN, packet, the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise indication information used to indicate that the TCP acknowledgement is a finish data packet, the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise window size information, and the TCP option in the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise multipath TCP information, selective acknowledgement information, a selective acknowledgement permitted option, or time stamp information, the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end determines that the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement, and generates the indication information indicating that the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement. receiving, by a radio link control, RLC, protocol entity unit of a data receive end, a transmission control protocol, TCP, acknowledgement from a TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end, wherein the TCP acknowledgement received from the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end is generated by the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end; whereby the method further comprises: determining, by the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end, based on content of the TCP acknowledgment received from the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end, whether an RLC protocol entity unit of a data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement, and generating indication information indicating whether the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement; and sending, by the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end, the indication information to the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end, determining, by the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end, based on content of the TCP acknowledgment received from the TCP protocol entity unit of the data receive end, whether an RLC protocol entity unit of a data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement, and generating indication information indicating whether the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement; and sending, by the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end, the indication information to the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end, the method further characterized by: if the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise data content, the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise indication information used to indicate that the TCP acknowledgement is a synchronization, SYN, packet, the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise indication information used to indicate that the TCP acknowledgement is a finish data packet, the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise window size information, and the TCP option in the header of the TCP acknowledgement does not comprise multipath TCP information, selective acknowledgement information, a selective acknowledgement permitted option, or time stamp information, the RLC protocol entity unit of the data receive end determines that the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement, and generates the indication information indicating that the RLC protocol entity unit of the data transmit end needs to generate the TCP acknowledgement.