Communication method and apparatus for avoiding conflict

A communication method comprising:

• receiving, by a distributed unit (DU) of a first access network device, a timing offset between a first cell and a second cell from a centralized unit (CU) of the first access network device, wherein the timing offset is from a second access network device, wherein the first cell is served by the DU, the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell, wherein the second cell is a cell served by the second access network device, and wherein the second access network device comprises a second CU and a second DU, and the second cell is a cell served by the second DU;
• storing, by the DU, the timing offset between the first cell and the second cell;
• receiving, by the DU, a random access channel (RACH) configuration of the second cell from the CU;
• determining, by the DU based on the timing offset between the first cell and the second cell, the RACH configuration of the second cell, and a RACH configuration of the first cell, whether there is a conflict between the RACH configuration of the first cell and the RACH configuration of the second cell;
• and
• based on the conflict between the RACH configuration of the first cell and the RACH configuration of the second cell, reconfiguring, by the DU, the RACH configuration for the first cell.

A communication system, comprising a centralized unit (CU) and distributed unit (DU), wherein:

• the CU is configured to:
• obtain, from a second access network device, a timing offset between a first cell and a second cell, send the timing offset between the first cell and the second cell to the DU, and send, to the DU, a random access channel (RACH) configuration of the second cell, wherein the first cell is a cell served by the DU, the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell, and both the CU and the DU belong to a first access network device, wherein the second cell is a cell served by the second access network device, and wherein the second access network device comprises a second CU and a second DU, and the second cell is a cell served by the second DU;
• and
• the DU is configured to:
• receive the timing offset between the first cell and the second cell, store the timing offset between the first cell and the second cell, receive a random access channel (RACH) configuration of the second cell from the CU, determine, based on the timing offset between the first cell and the second cell, the RACH configuration of the second cell, and a RACH configuration of the first cell, whether there is a conflict between the RACH configuration of the first cell and the RACH configuration of the second cell, and based on the conflict between the RACH configuration of the first cell and the RACH configuration of the second cell, reconfigure the RACH configuration for the first cell.