A method includes: When user equipment is in an RRC idle mode or inactive mode, the user equipment sends a first random access preamble to an access network device on a PRACH resource, and sends first uplink data to the access network device on a PUSCH resource. The user equipment sends, by using at least two beams respectively, SRSs to the access network device on at least two SRS resources associated with the PUSCH resource. The user equipment receives a random access response from the access network device, where the random access response includes beam indication information, and the beam indication information is used to indicate an optimal beam in the at least two beams.