similarly, that the second network device retransmits the downlink data to the user equipment may include: if the second network device receives the negative acknowledgement information sent by the user equipment, sending, by the second network device to the user equipment, at least one physical downlink control channel for retransmission, where the at least one physical downlink control channel for retransmission carries second control information, and the second control information includes scheduling information of downlink data corresponding to the at least one physical downlink control channel for retransmission. A case for the third network device is similar to the foregoing case, and details are not described herein again.
If initial transmission is executed only by the second network device (that is, step 501), and retransmission is executed by the third network device (that is, step 503), because the first network device is a main control network device, the first network device knows downlink data initially transmitted by the second network device, and the first network device configures, for the third network device, the downlink data initially transmitted by the second network device, so that the third network device performs retransmission. The first network device knows a moment at which retransmission occurs; therefore, it is only required to ensure that configuration is complete before retransmission occurs.