This application relates to a data transmission method. The method includes: receiving, in a subframe, first data and first demodulation reference signal(s) that are sent by a first network side device by using n antenna port(s), and second data and second demodulation reference signal(s) that are sent by a second network side device by using m antenna port(s), where time-frequency resources occupied by the first demodulation reference signal(s) are different from time-frequency resources occupied by the second demodulation reference signal(s), and a time-frequency resource occupied by the first data and that occupied by the second data at least partly overlap; and performing demodulation processing on the data based on the first demodulation reference signal(s) and the second demodulation reference signal(s). The data transmission method may be applied to coordinated multipoint transmission/reception in which a plurality of network side devices that are not quasi-co-located simultaneously send data to user equipment.