Embodiments of the present invention provide a connection setup method, apparatus, and system. The method in the present invention includes: sending information about to-be-provided connection request resources to a user equipment UE set; receiving a connection request message that is sent on a selected connection request resource by one UE in the user equipment set; acquiring a first information segment of a radio resource control connection request of the UE according to the selected connection request resource and the mapping relationship; receiving a radio resource control connection request message that is sent, by the UE, on a radio resource that corresponds to the resource scheduling information; and determining radio resource control connection request information of the UE according to the first information segment of the radio resource control connection request and a second information segment of the radio resource control connection request.