You have a choice between local, regional and national providers. There are regional providers such as BellSouth. There are local providers only known in local communities. These can be identified in your local telephone book. National providers generally offer software that makes sign-up a snap and fees can be charged to your credit card.
All providers offer at least one e-mail address.
Some allow you to choose your own name and some assign you a name. Some will encourage you to develop your own web page, but we're not ready for that yet. I have used America On-Line for years. This convention is used for all e-mail addresses. The only trouble I have had is the much-publicized time when all lines were busy for days.