A time-frequency resource allocation method performed by a base station, wherein the method comprises: obtaining an uplink reference signal of user equipment UE on which allocation is to be performed, wherein the uplink reference signal comprises an uplink channel sounding reference signal SRS and/or a specific reference signal DMRS; measuring, based on the uplink reference signal, each beam in a second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups comprising a first preset quantity of beams, to determine a level of each beam; determining, based on the level of each beam, a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups; and allocating, based on the beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups and a beam attribute that is of one or more UEs on which allocation has already been performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups, a time-frequency resource to the UE on which allocation is to be performed, wherein the UEs on which allocation has already been performed use a same time-frequency resource, and the same time-frequency resource is a same time-frequency resource block RB or a same time-frequency resource block group RBG, wherein the determining, based on the level of each beam, a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups comprises: for each orthogonal beam group, if a target beam satisfying a preset condition exists in the orthogonal beam group, determining that a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the orthogonal beam group is the target beam; or if no beam satisfying a preset condition exists in the orthogonal beam group, determining that a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the orthogonal beam group is a joint attribute, wherein the preset condition is that a difference between a level of the target beam and a level of any other beam than the target beam in the orthogonal beam group is greater than or equal to a preset value. obtaining an uplink reference signal of user equipment UE on which allocation is to be performed, wherein the uplink reference signal comprises an uplink channel sounding reference signal SRS and/or a specific reference signal DMRS; measuring, based on the uplink reference signal, each beam in a second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups comprising a first preset quantity of beams, to determine a level of each beam; determining, based on the level of each beam, a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups; and allocating, based on the beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups and a beam attribute that is of one or more UEs on which allocation has already been performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups, a time-frequency resource to the UE on which allocation is to be performed, wherein the UEs on which allocation has already been performed use a same time-frequency resource, and the same time-frequency resource is a same time-frequency resource block RB or a same time-frequency resource block group RBG, wherein the determining, based on the level of each beam, a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups comprises: for each orthogonal beam group, if a target beam satisfying a preset condition exists in the orthogonal beam group, determining that a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the orthogonal beam group is the target beam; or if no beam satisfying a preset condition exists in the orthogonal beam group, determining that a beam attribute that is of the UE on which allocation is to be performed and that is in the orthogonal beam group is a joint attribute, wherein the preset condition is that a difference between a level of the target beam and a level of any other beam than the target beam in the orthogonal beam group is greater than or equal to a preset value.