I guess the entire point of this is that ultimately you end up with a mesh network communication system that can't be turned off because people already have these devices in their hands, right? So it doesn't matter if you lose network connectivity. This is about experimenting with getting mobile phones set up as mesh network nodes.
Discussion
Basically, yes, #Meshtastic actually has much higher range, but you have to buy another device and carry it with you, where this uses the device you currently already own.