A new survey conducted by the Yankee Group has revealed that as many as 73 percent of the iPhone users have reported to be ‘very satisfied’ with the service provided by the iPhone’s exclusive US carrier, AT&T.

According to a CNN report, the Yankee Group study shows that four out of five iPhone users plan to continue with the iPhone, even though AT&T appears to be plagued with the irksome network-related problems.

Interestingly, while 68 percent of the AT&T subscribers have expressed an overall satisfaction rate with the carrier’s service; 69 percent of general smartphone users have expressed their satisfaction with AT&T.

The results of the Yankee Group survey are bound to come as a surprise to most of the industry watchers, smartphone users, and the so-called vocal detractors of the AT&T network, especially after Apple’s recent fiascos pertaining to the privacy on the iPad and the antenna issue of the newly-released iPhone 4. Moreover, AT&T charges the iPhone users pay an additional $12 per month, vis-à-vis its other smartphone users.

Noting that AT&T is not as bad a carrier as it is generally perceived to be, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said: “There's a gap between what people hear about us and what their experience is with us. We think that gap is beginning to close. It doesn't mean we're perfect; we still have work to do. But that's no surprise to us, because we have a great network.”