A passive optical network communication method, including receiving an Ethernet packet carrying an optical network unit identifier, determining a correspondence between the optical network unit identifier and an optical network unit type according to the optical network unit identifier, determining that an optical network unit that receives the Ethernet packet is a first type of optical network unit, where the optical network unit type includes the first and second type of optical network unit, and a packet receiving rate of the first type is different from that of the second type, determining a correspondence between the optical network unit type and a channel according to the first type, determining a channel corresponding to the first type, encapsulating the Ethernet packet into a gigabit-capable passive optical network encapsulation method (GEM) frame, and sending the GEM frame to the first type of optical network unit using the determined channel.