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I'd describe it as point to point, as in no other station is relaying/broadcasting any standard DSC messages you might send (although commercial Class A sets can do some relay features with Mayday alerts). But unlike a mobile phone, where the network equipment directs your call/message to the single receiving phone directly, with DSC announcements they are "broadcast" to everyone in your VHF range, but the receiving radios are then filtering out the announcements based on the MMSI number in the announcement, and their own programmed MMSI number(s).
Range will be much the same as with voice, although with the DSC announcement being only a tiny packet of digital data to send/receive on a dedicated channel, you might find it gets a tiny bit further where voice comms are really struggling.
Most modern DSC radios are constantly monitoring channel 70 for DSC announcements, although on the HX890E you only have a single antenna, so if you are transmitting/having a long voice conversation at the time, while your single antenna is transmitting you won't be able to receive any DSC announcements.
Routine announcements are typically to a single MMSI, although you can use the Group MMSI feature where multiple stations enter the same Group MMSI in their radios (you can request from Ofcom in the UK), and if you send an announcement to that Group MMSI, all stations that have entered it will receive the message. Obviously things like Distress alerts and Urgency/Safety DSC announcements are broadcast to all receiving stations within range, regardless of their MMSI number.
No out of range messages - like voice, you either get a response, or nothing!
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