A time-frequency resource allocation method includes: obtaining an uplink reference signal of user equipment (UE) on which allocation is to be performed when scheduling a time-frequency resource for the UE; measuring, based on the obtained uplink reference signal, each beam in a second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups including a first preset quantity of beams, to determine a level of each beam; then determining, based on the level of each beam, a beam attribute that is of the UE and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups; and then, allocating, based on the beam attribute that is of the UE and a beam attribute that is of one or more UEs on which allocation has already been performed and that is in the second preset quantity of orthogonal beam groups, the time-frequency resource to the UE on which allocation is to be performed.