[gumby]

I think it's still quite feasible to shut down Internet access in some regions -- look at Kashmir. However, there electricity and water are still provided because almost nothing can function without those.

If the internet is made indespensible, as water and electricity are considered, then access cannot be shut off.

But even where IPs are being passed around, it has been possible for some governments like Turkey's and China's to block access to certain sites, especially if they have architected their communications topology to support that (e.g. having few transport links outside their country).