The BBC's Peter Morgan reports from booming Seattle

Cable and Wireless bought MCI's Internet business arm in a move which the industry's analysts see as a major vote of confidence in the growth of Internet trade.

Seattle: Booming from the Internet

Market experts predict that e-commerce, business conducted over or with the help of the Internet, will be worth at least £6 billion by the year 2000.

And while the growth of the Internet's business potential has so far largely taken place in the USA, the next big market could become the UK.

Cable and Wireless chief executive, Richard Brown, said: "This transaction catapults us into a leading role in the World League of Internet and data traffic carriers.

"It gives us the scale and scope we need in the United States."

World Wide Buy-ups

Cable and Wireless' move is just the latest in a line of moves by large communications companies to move into Internet business.

Earlier in May, US entertainment giant Disney signalled its intent to become a major player on the Internet stage when it bought all the shares in Starwave Corp, a Seattle based company managing some of the USA's largest commercial websites.

Jeff Bezos: UK market is ripe

Another major Seattle Internet firm, online bookstore Amazon.com, says it is already looking for major growth in commerce in the UK market.

Founder Jeff Bezos said: "Britain is not only ready for us but ready for the Internet.

"It's a global phenomenon and it is growing faster in the UK than in the US."

Deloitte and Touche Consulting Group is predicting up to 300% growth in Internet trading in the coming two years.

British businesses keen to jump onto the Internet train could do no better than turn to Seattle where a major portion of its economy is based on Internet services.

The city and Washington State's business leaders say the Internet points to a future of high employment - and high profits.

Bob Watt of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce said: "Today in Washington State (the Internet) represents 88,000 jobs.