This application relates to the field of communications technologies, and more specifically, to a technology for establishing an operation and management channel. In a channel establishment method, a base station obtains a connection status of an operation and management channel between a base station and an operation support system OSS server. If the connection status indicates that there is a connection exception on the operation and management channel, the base station obtains a historical channel establishment parameter that is stored in the base station before a current moment and that is used by the base station to establish the operation and management channel with the OSS server.