Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the current operational status and problems of the Public Warning System (PWS) in China, and to propose feasible solutions to improve the performance and efficiency of the PWS through a comparative analysis with the Cell Broadcast Service (CBS)-based disaster SMS system adopted by other developed countries in the world. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the characteristics of PWS using SMS, applications, and CBS, respectively, are analyzed in detail, and compared and analyzed in terms of convenience, standardization, data security, speed, and location accuracy. In addition, CBS-based PWS in developed countries, such as U.S., E.U., Korea and Japan, were studied and their performance on key criteria was evaluated. Findings Based on the results of the study, the problems of China’s PWS are summarized and recommendations are made to improve the PWS through the introduction of CBS technology. To this end, specific improvement measures are proposed in terms of the application of CBS technology, system construction and operation, and improvement of data security. In addition, the comparative analysis of PWSs in other developed countries is conducted to provide reference for the direction of PWS’s improvement.