I've had my cell phone phone number for at least 15 years, maybe even 20. I wonder if I should just keep it forever even though it's from an area 2.5 hours from where I live. I think it's 2 area codes away. It also makes it easy to filter spam, I can either recognize the number (stored contact) or know it's a person actually for me (local area code) or it's spam (phone numbers area code).
at least in my experience in the USA area codes are now at most nostalgia, if not meaningless. They leak a bit of info about where you signed up, but I cannot think of a person who bothered to cycle their number to correct the area code.
And tracking exists for when a phone changes hands. We receive money by Zelle at times--and every established link blew up the day my account "changed" (T-Mobile/Sprint, there wasn't actually a change but it reported as such.) Why can't the other companies have access to something of the sort?