This application provides a communications method, which includes: performing, by a network device, LBT on a first carrier, and determining a time offset when the LBT is completed, where the first carrier is used to send a first SS Burst Set, and the time offset is a time offset of an actual transmission time of the first SS Burst Set on the first carrier relative to a configured transmission time of the first SS Burst Set; sending, by the network device, the time offset to a terminal; and receiving, by the terminal, the time offset, and performing rate matching on the first carrier based on the time offset. Thus, the terminal may determine the actual transmission time of the first SS Burst Set based on the time offset, to perform the rate matching and accurately parse downlink data, thereby improving reliability of a communications system.