A communication method includes sending, by a source mobility management network element in a first area, a first slice set for a home public land mobile network (PLMN) (HPLMN) of a terminal device to a target mobility management network element in a second area when handing over the terminal device from a source access network device in the first area to a target access network device in the second area, where the first slice set corresponds to a second slice set for the first area, and obtaining, by the target mobility management network element, a third slice set for the second area based on the first slice set.