This application provides a communication method, a communications apparatus, and a system. The communication method includes: sending first indication information used to indicate that a system bandwidth of a first-type terminal device is a first system bandwidth, where the first system bandwidth is less than or equal to a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) mitigation bandwidth; and sending second indication information to a second-type terminal device, where the second indication information is used to indicate that a system bandwidth of the second-type terminal device is a second system bandwidth, and the second-type terminal device can support a network-based CRS mitigation technology. According to this application, communication performance of a conventional terminal device and a terminal device that can support a CRS mitigation technology in a network device configured with a network-based CRS mitigation technology can be ensured.