Embodiments relate to a communication method, user equipment, and a network device. A discovery message sent by second user equipment indicates cell information of the user equipment, so that first user equipment that receives the discovery message sends a communication request to a network device according to the discovery message. The communication request indicates the cell information of the second user equipment. The network device sends a paging message to the second user equipment according to a cell message of the second user equipment, which saves resources in a paging process of direct communication.