A communication method includes: determining a preamble including M symbol groups; and sending the M symbol groups in K uplink subframe sets, where any uplink subframe set in the K uplink subframe sets includes one uplink subframe or more than one consecutive uplink subframes, any two uplink subframe sets in the K uplink subframe sets are spaced by at least one downlink subframe, and in each of the K uplink subframe sets at least one symbol group can be sent; N times of frequency hopping exist in the M symbol groups, each of the N times of frequency hopping is frequency hopping between adjacent symbol groups in the M symbol groups, and frequency hopping directions of at least two of the N times of frequency hopping are opposite, N is less than M, K is less than or equal to M, and K, N and M are positive integers.