A communication method includes determining, by a network device, a first signal. The first signal includes a primary synchronization signal PSS, a secondary synchronization signal SSS, and a first physical broadcast channel PBCH. A frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the PSS, the SSS, and the first PBCH is less than 240 subcarriers. The PSS, the SSS, and the first PBCH are mapped to different time-domain symbols. The method also includes sending, by the network device, the first signal.