This application provides a communication method, an access network device, and a terminal. The communication method includes: monitoring, by a terminal after completing initial transmission of first uplink data in a first-type transmission mode, a first downlink control channel sent by an access network device, where the first downlink control channel carries first downlink control information, the first-type transmission mode includes performing grant-free uplink data transmission based on radio resource control configuration signaling or based on radio resource control reconfiguration signaling and not based on layer 1 signaling, and the first downlink control information includes HARQ feedback information for the first uplink data, retransmission scheduling information for the first uplink data, or scheduling information for second uplink data; and detecting, by the terminal, the first downlink control information on the first downlink control channel.