Embodiments of the present invention provide a random access method which includes: obtaining, by a user equipment, first information, where the first information indicates that a subframe of a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource is a subframe available for use after a licensed-assisted access (LAA) cell successfully preempts a channel, and the PRACH resource is allocated by a first base station serving the LAA cell for user equipments to access the LAA cell in a random access procedure; receiving, by the user equipment, a first indication sent by the first base station, where the first indication indicates that the LAA cell has successfully preempted a channel; and initiating, by the user equipment, the random access procedure according to the first information after receiving the first indication.