A data transmission method, performed by a network device, wherein the method comprises determining a first parameter, a second parameter, a first gap threshold, and a second gap threshold; determining, based on the first parameter and the first gap threshold, whether a gap exists in transmission on a downlink control channel; sending downlink control information to a terminal device through the downlink control channel based on a result of determining whether a gap exists in the transmission on the downlink control channel; determining, based on the second parameter and the second gap threshold, whether a gap exists in transmission on a downlink data channel; and sending one or more transport blocks to the terminal device through the downlink data channel based on a result of determining whether a gap exists in the transmission on the downlink data channel, wherein the downlink control information is used to schedule the one or more transport blocks, and the first parameter, the second parameter, the first gap threshold, and the second gap threshold are configured such that a quantity of gaps comprised in a same time period used for sending the downlink data channel to be greater than a quantity of gaps comprised in the same time period used for sending the downlink control channel; and the first parameter is different from the second parameter, and the first gap threshold is the same as the second gap threshold; or the first parameter is the same as the second parameter, and the first gap threshold is different from the second gap threshold; or the first parameter is different from the second parameter, and the first gap threshold is different from the second gap threshold. determining a first parameter, a second parameter, a first gap threshold, and a second gap threshold; determining, based on the first parameter and the first gap threshold, whether a gap exists in transmission on a downlink control channel; sending downlink control information to a terminal device through the downlink control channel based on a result of determining whether a gap exists in the transmission on the downlink control channel; determining, based on the second parameter and the second gap threshold, whether a gap exists in transmission on a downlink data channel; and sending one or more transport blocks to the terminal device through the downlink data channel based on a result of determining whether a gap exists in the transmission on the downlink data channel, wherein the downlink control information is used to schedule the one or more transport blocks, and the first parameter, the second parameter, the first gap threshold, and the second gap threshold are configured such that a quantity of gaps comprised in a same time period used for sending the downlink data channel to be greater than a quantity of gaps comprised in the same time period used for sending the downlink control channel; and the first parameter is different from the second parameter, and the first gap threshold is the same as the second gap threshold; or the first parameter is the same as the second parameter, and the first gap threshold is different from the second gap threshold; or the first parameter is different from the second parameter, and the first gap threshold is different from the second gap threshold.