A downlink control information, DCI, transmission method, comprising: transmitting, by a network device, DCI in a first DCI format; when the DCI is used to schedule a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, carrying a multicast traffic channel, indicating, by the network device by using a first radio network temporary identifier, RNTI, that the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the multicast traffic channel, and wherein first information is indicated in the DCI and second information is not indicated in the DCI; and when the DCI is used to schedule a user equipment-specific, UE-specific, PDSCH, indicating, by the network device by using a second RNTI, that the DCI is used to schedule the UE-specific PDSCH, and wherein the first information is not indicated in the DCI and the second information is indicated in the DCI; and when the DCI is used to schedule a PDSCH carrying a random access response message, indicating, by the network device by using a third RNTI, that the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the random access response message, and wherein neither the first information nor the second information is indicated in the DCI; wherein when the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the multicast traffic channel, scrambling, by the network device, a cyclic redundancy code, CRC, of the DCI by using the first RNTI; and when the DCI is used to schedule the UE-specific PDSCH, scrambling, by the network device, the CRC of the DCI by using the second RNTI; and when the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the random access response message, scrambling, by the network device, the CRC of the DCI by using the third RNTI. transmitting, by a network device, DCI in a first DCI format; when the DCI is used to schedule a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, carrying a multicast traffic channel, indicating, by the network device by using a first radio network temporary identifier, RNTI, that the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the multicast traffic channel, and wherein first information is indicated in the DCI and second information is not indicated in the DCI; and when the DCI is used to schedule a user equipment-specific, UE-specific, PDSCH, indicating, by the network device by using a second RNTI, that the DCI is used to schedule the UE-specific PDSCH, and wherein the first information is not indicated in the DCI and the second information is indicated in the DCI; and when the DCI is used to schedule a PDSCH carrying a random access response message, indicating, by the network device by using a third RNTI, that the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the random access response message, and wherein neither the first information nor the second information is indicated in the DCI; wherein when the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the multicast traffic channel, scrambling, by the network device, a cyclic redundancy code, CRC, of the DCI by using the first RNTI; and when the DCI is used to schedule the UE-specific PDSCH, scrambling, by the network device, the CRC of the DCI by using the second RNTI; and when the DCI is used to schedule the PDSCH carrying the random access response message, scrambling, by the network device, the CRC of the DCI by using the third RNTI.