Earlier quoted context omitted.
It had never occurred to me that cell phone operators would use area codes. In my small home country, there is basically one 'area code' per cell phone operator. First lesson learnt in 2014! :)
That doesn’t just apply to small countries. I was also unaware that mobile phone numbers could have area codes and I’m from Germany (where each mobile operator has one three digit code – but even that is becoming meaningless with legally required number portability from operator to operator).
Less visible to people, though the way gsm works means that every call and text you receive entails a lookup to your number's original provider. Prefix allocations to mobile networks are static and they are required to return a new route if you've ported. Which means if a company leaves the market, someone has to take on their allocations or even non-current customers will lose connectivity. Or at least that was true last time a checked, 4 or so years ago. Kind of crazy.