A communication method and system, an access network device, and an application server, where the communication method includes receiving, by an access network device, a service packet, and sending, by the access network device, the received service packet to an application server according to a policy, where the application server is arranged at an access network side, and is independent from the access network device or in the access network device, and the application server supports operation of at least one service. An application server that supports operation of third-party applications is introduced at an access network side such that a user equipment (UE) can directly perform service interaction with the access network side, which significantly improves the response time of a user request, decreases service delay, and improves the quality of service (QoS) of a service, thereby improving user experience.