A communication method, comprising: obtaining (S2001, S2101), by a session management function network element , first information identifying a data stream, wherein the first information is used to instruct a send end to send a user stream by using the data stream and is further used to instruct a receive end to receive the user stream by using the data stream; and the receive end is an access network element and the send end is a user plane function network element , or the receive end is the user plane function network element and the send end is the access network element ; sending (S2002, S2102), by the session management function network element , the first information to the user plane function network element ; obtaining (S2003, S2103), by the session management function network element , second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate a forwarding rule of transmitting the user stream by the user plane function network element to a data network, DN, side or to the access network element , and sending (S2004, S2104), by the session management function network element , the second information to the user plane function network element ; characterized in that the second information comprises an identifier of a reliable-latency transmission network of the user stream on the DN side or an identifier of a port for transmitting the user stream by the user plane function network element on the DN side, and the identifier of the reliable-latency transmission network of the user stream on the DN side is associated with the identifier of the port for transmitting the user stream by the user plane function network element on the DN side, and in that the access network element and the user plane function network element are the send end and the receive end that perform communication by using the data stream in a time-sensitive network, TSN. obtaining (S2001, S2101), by a session management function network element , first information identifying a data stream, wherein the first information is used to instruct a send end to send a user stream by using the data stream and is further used to instruct a receive end to receive the user stream by using the data stream; and the receive end is an access network element and the send end is a user plane function network element , or the receive end is the user plane function network element and the send end is the access network element ; sending (S2002, S2102), by the session management function network element , the first information to the user plane function network element ; obtaining (S2003, S2103), by the session management function network element , second information, wherein the second information is used to indicate a forwarding rule of transmitting the user stream by the user plane function network element to a data network, DN, side or to the access network element , and sending (S2004, S2104), by the session management function network element , the second information to the user plane function network element ; characterized in that the second information comprises an identifier of a reliable-latency transmission network of the user stream on the DN side or an identifier of a port for transmitting the user stream by the user plane function network element on the DN side, and the identifier of the reliable-latency transmission network of the user stream on the DN side is associated with the identifier of the port for transmitting the user stream by the user plane function network element on the DN side, and in that the access network element and the user plane function network element are the send end and the receive end that perform communication by using the data stream in a time-sensitive network, TSN. <EOS>